


Justice Lords LIMITLESS Act 1: ReBirth

by thothakhronos



Series: Justice Lords Limitless [1]
Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23702113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thothakhronos/pseuds/thothakhronos
Summary: The Justice League fought the Justice Lords in "A Better World" then left that world behind. But that world continued to spin. What happened after the Justice League left? What happened after the Justice Lords fell?
Relationships: Diana (Wonder Woman) & Bruce Wayne, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Bruce Wayne
Series: Justice Lords Limitless [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706971
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

"…as of today, the totalitarian hold on the world the Justice Lords had is over," The imposing visage of the Batman was broadcasted over every television set in every nation, "As I speak, the other Justice Lords being incarcerated. They do not share the same views I hold, nor are they willing to listen to reason,"

The screen cut to a moving scene that many only dreamed about: Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, and even Superman were all being led into armored prison transports one by one, angry. Powerless. The screen cut back to Batman.

"My final motion to end the hold is this," He held up a cylindrical trigger and pressed the button with his kevlar-covered thumb. The view cut to a view of the Watchtower in space. Once a beacon of hope and justice, the powerful satellite had become a symbol of oppression and fear over the course of the last two years. From a beacon of light to a shadow of fear. What happened moments later, made everything all the more real: the Watchtower exploded. After a few moments, the signal cut back to Batman. "Our reign as demi-gods has ended and I am sorry," The signal ended.

**-5 Months Later-**

She sat atop the roof of her house, staring at the stars, thinking. It was one of the few moments she had time to herself to think. Of course, it wasn't one of the few times she was alone. In fact for the past 3 months, she had been getting more alone time than normal. But this was definitely one of the few times she was alone and her mind could wander.

Sometimes it was simply something as trivial as 'Do monkeys marry?' or 'How is so much flavor packed into the Soder Cola Lite soda?'' But this night was different, tonight she thought about the world.

As a graduating senior of Gotham High School, she realized that very soon she would be thrust into the world with little more than an umbrella when what she really would need is a parachute.

"Kimber?" Her father's voice floated from the house below, "Kimber, sweetie are you out here?"

"Yes? Yes, Papa," She called back quickly as she scooted from the roof to the back porch in one swift movement, "I'm back here! Welcome home, Papa," She greeted him at the back door.

"Thank you, my daughter," Her father, Goren Lee, bent his sic-foot frame to embraced her, " How was school?" He asked as he led her back inside.

"Oh, you know... Dismal and hopeless as ever," Kimber sighed. "How was work?"

Goren looked up for a moment before answering, "You know what? Pretty much the same. Though there was a ray of hope today,"

"Really? And that was?"

Goren smiled as he settled into his favorite armchair, "Remember that upstart gang?"

"The Jokerz?"

Goren nodded, "Yep, the lunatic followers of the former Joker. One of their leaders was just delivered to the station a few hours ago courtesy of our city's recent guardian,"

Kimber arched an eyebrow, "The Batman is back?" she asked with slow skepticism.

Her father chuckled, "Sadly, no. But she bears a striking resemblance to him,"

Kimber's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "'She'?"

"Yes ma'am. Apparently there is some girl running around in long underwear trying to fill in the big boots of the Dark Knight," His pocket buzzed and in response, he drew his phone out and checked it. After discerning it wasn't important, Goren continued, "Wilkes caught a glimpse of her smashing through a drug house two days back. You know he knows the Bat. This is someone else. Someone younger,"

Kimber laughed, "Really? Sounds like a losing battle,"

Goren shrugged, "To be honest, the GCPD will take what we can get. I'm still not fully set in my roll as city police chief and already the caseload is piling higher and higher,"

"I'm still confused as to why you were made chief," Kimber plopped onto the couch, "You quit the force when the Justice Lord's took over,"

"Yeah, well, apparently the Batman remembers my resignation,"

"Remembers? I'm pretty sure that he would remember the one police officer to curse him out and them tell him what he was doing was wrong,"

"Yeah... Pretty sure he remembers knocking out a few of my teeth, too," Goren added, rubbing his jaw unconsciously as the memory came back up.

"Perhaps," added Kimber with a smirk.

"Well, after releasing the world, he requested I be made police chief of Gotham,"

"Because you stood up to him?"

"Because I was the only one who stood up to him," Goren corrected pointedly, "Though I do wish he'd come back out of wherever he's hidden. This city needs him now that the world isn't under martial law,"

"You make it seem as if the girl in long undies can't push back the crime in the city,"

Goren arched an eyebrow, "You sound offended, Kim,"

And the girl laughed, "Oh, please, Papa, why would I be offended?"

He smiled, "Only messing with you, kiddo. But it would be a welcomed miracle to have him operate in Gotham again... I have a feeling we are about to experience a storm of evil that was only known years ago,"


	2. Chapter 2

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._ That was the only sound he heard, alone in his cave.

That was the way it had been in his life for the past 5 months. Of course, 'Bruce Wayne' made many appearances during those months; hosting lavish parties and crashing the parties he wasn't invited to. But as anyone who knew him, who _really_ knew him, knew that 'Bruce Wayne' was a facade. The most eligible bachelor in Gotham City was nothing more than the true mask of The Batman.

Slowly, the powerful man stood from his meditation and walked over to a lineup of cases and looked at the suits that were displayed in each one, every suit bringing back memories. His first suit, his second, Dick Grayson's Robin uniform, Barbara Gordon's second Batgirl uniform, Tim Drake's Robin uniform... He wondered where they all were now. Somewhat. He had kept tabs on them after he had fired them all those years ago when the Justice Lords took over.

Dick had immediately discovered that he was being monitored and somehow was able to virtually disappear from the grid. He'd probably gone overseas but Batman couldn't be sure and out of respect for Dick, Batman left him alone. Barbara traded loud college parties for quiet times and became a librarian at Gotham's public library, much to Batman's chagrin. And Tim Drake? Tim went to live with a long-lost aunt and uncle. He would be finishing up his ninth grade studies in Bludhaven next year.

Batman moved on to the final glass case, a case that held the tired but honorable uniform of a long-time friend and confidant: Alfred. His most trusted friend, adviser, and ally had died the month before the Justice Lords were defeated and disbanded. He died peacefully in his sleep and a small funeral was held for the butler. Barbara, Tim, even Dick... they were all there, together for the first time in two years. Not a word was shared between these attendees at the funeral, but the presence of all the former Bat-family united to honor Alfred spoke volumes about the man's ability to draw them together.

Batman looked at his reflection in the tempered glass of Alfred's case: soulless eyes behind opaque lenses, silver Bat emblem, a slate blue-grey cape draped over his shoulders. Alfred did not support what the Justice Lords had become, but he cared for Batman's wounds even still. He never quit his job, he never complained, he just did his duty and still gave advice.

"I really could use some of that advice about now, old friend," Batman murmured to himself before walking back to the mat he had been meditating on and sitting down once again.

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._ That was the only sound he heard, alone in the cave.

* * *

The final school bell rang and students from Gotham High rushed out of their respective classes in a frenzy. Teachers tried in vain to shout over the raucous masses to share the end-of-lesson plans as well as announce homework to be done over the winter break. It was a lost cause and many teachers accepted that extensions would no doubt have to be made once classes resumed. Like a bolt of lightning, Kimber was out of her classroom and headed for the courtyard. She was in such a rush that she must have nearly knocked down five or six people before she arrived at her locker.

"Finally! Winter break!" She opened her locker quickly throwing in her whole backpack and then slamming the door shut.

"Well, don't you look excited?" A fellow senior leaned against the wall of lockers and turned his face to Kimber. The stitched name was on his letterman jacket read 'Mawk' in stylized letters, "Any plans for the first Saturday night of break?"

"This coming Saturday?"

Mawk nodded goofily, "Ya-huh"

"Yes," Kimber replied quickly, _The city is busy at night._

Mawk smirked, "Well, how about you change them and come to my Winter Bash?"

Kimber laughed and replied, "Please, how am I supposed to change plans made months ago for a party in two days?" She started to walk away and the boy chased after her, just as she expected.

"You're a smart girl," Mawk started, " I'm sure you will figure it out. Besides, if you don't come, people will start asking questions. Important questions!"

"Like what?" she asked dryly, knowing full well what the boy meant, "Whether we are getting back together or not?"

"Exactly!" Mawk exclaimed. A smile tickled the corners of his lips but he fought back the urge to grin, "You gotta come as my date. Or else no more using my employee discount at Threaded,"

Kimber stopped walking and her mouth dropped, "Okay, that's unfair," she put up a finger for emphasis.

"No, that's called bargaining, babe," Mawk smirked, "So, coming or should I put you down for 'ask again later'?"

Kimber laughed again, but this time in slight defeat, "Fine, we will see if I go. But don't blame me if I am late!"

Mawk kissed her forehead, "Promise I won't,"

"Good, how about giving me a ride home?"

* * *

His name was Curtis Reginald Orson Walker and he was panting heavily. He had fallen asleep in his last class and had the unfortunate luck to have slept through the bell. As a result two students who sat near him stole his belongings: with one kid was his backpack, and the other, his laptop. What would have been a 'harmless' Gotham prank to anyone else felt to Curtis more like a vulnerable moment. He had just retrieved his backpack and was now closing in on the second teen. He needed that laptop back, it held sensitive files.

During the Justice Lords reign, he had joined a small-time 'hack-tivist' cell. Nothing major, just digital vandalism and online protestation. Even so, the group was short-lived, cut down by Batman and the Green Lantern. Most of the members had been sent to prison and were not released until last May, but Curtis had gotten away. Even though the Justice Lords no longer held the world by the throat, he didn't want the scripts and programs he had written getting out. They could still do damage in more malicious hands.

"Hey!" he shouted after the kid, "Give it back!" _Why, oh why, didn't I delete that crap?_

The thief looked back to Curtis as he ran, "You gotta catch me first! Oof!" The moment he looked back, the thief crashed headlong into another student. The stolen laptop and the victim fell to the ground in a heap. Without bothering to apologizing or pick up Curtis' laptop, the kid rushed off to get away from Curtis.

_Thank goodness..._ Curtis thought as he approached his property and the fallen student, "Are you alright?" He picked up the laptop in one hand and helped the girl up with the other.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine," The girl brushed dirt from her jeans and straightened her shirt, "That your laptop?"

"Yeah, I fell asleep in the last class of the day," He smiled sheepishly.

The girl giggled, "That's never a good idea. My name is Kimber, by the way. Kimber Lee," She extended her hand in greeting.

Curtis reached out and gave it a light shake, "Kimberly?"

"No. Kimber. Lee," She punctuated the space, "'Lee' is my last name. My father is Korean... and has a bad sense of humor,"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he's in law enforcement," she continued, finding it odd she was unable to stop from sharing, "So if Pit had actually gotten away with stealing your laptop," She put her hand to her head with her thumb in her ear and her pinky by her mouth, miming a phone, "I'd just, you know, give him a ring," she gave a nervous chuckle.

"Wait, you dad's Goren Lee, isn't he? The cop that got pounded in the face by Batman two and half years ago or so?"

"Yep, " she sighed and inwardly cursed, "That's papa,"

There was an awkward pause between the two; Kimber was waiting for Mawk to drive his car from the parking lot to the front of the school and Curtis wasn't about to leave the attractive raven-haired girl alone just yet.

"So... what are you doing for break?" Curtis asked.

"Mawk's party probably," She replied without thinking. Then, still not thinking, she invited him.

"Oh, really? Sounds like fun, I suppose. Where will it be held?"

_Oof._ "Mawk's house, of course. This Saturday night... nine-ish. I think," Just then, Mawk's car pulled up. _Better late than never,_ "I'll see you there maybe?" She gave a slight wave as she opened the door of her on-again, off-again boyfriend's car.

Curtis smiled and waved. He could tell that she was kicking herself internally for inviting him, but hey; a party's a party. He'd never been invited to one before, may as well take advantage, "Sure, why not?"


	3. Chapter 3

Kimber rushed into the garage, tossed a hefty trash bag in the waiting bin, and slid into her old sedan in one fluid movement. She started the engine and backed the car out of the driveway. She was excited, why wouldn't she be? It was nights like tonight that she lived for now. The air was crisp and cool, there was a slight breeze, the gibbous moon was obscured by shadowy clouds and there was no school the following day. Tonight was perfect.

She parked her car in an overnight parking structure near the local strip mall and exited her vehicle in a careful rush, making a bee-line for the nearest dark corner. Once there and sure she was hidden from view, she stripped off her casual clothes and switched them with the clothes in a duffle bag. The tee-shirt and sweater she wore changed places with a black long-sleeve and matching gloves. Her jeans came off and were replaced with a pair of leggings that were slick black. Over her clothes, she donned modified motorcycle padding and armor. Her sneakers were replaced with modified canvas boots. She fastened a makeshift utility belt around her waist and slung a long, dark blue-grey scalloped cape about her neck and clipped the two latches to her shoulders. Just before she climbed up the parking structure's fire escape, she sealed the costume, putting a modified motorcycle helmet with homemade metal 'bat ears' on her head.

Once on the top of the parking structure, she ran to the edge. There once was a time she would flinch at the end of a run like this. She would get scared and nauseated. She wondered about what would happen if she fell "over the edge" so to speak. The shame and ridicule her father would have to endure. The sadness. But she eventually got over those fears, she filed them away with other thoughts that didn't matter in the grander scheme of things like a past boyfriend.

Upon reaching the edge, she jumped. This was the feeling she lived for: the lights blurring, the wind tugging on her cape as she easily floated through the air to the next building. She hit the roof and, without breaking her stride, continued to run. Her ears picked up the sound of sirens just off to her left. They were getting closer to her position. Two buildings away her hidden motorcycle was waiting for her.

On the final building, she vaulted over the side and grabbed with one hand a drain pipe then slid the rest of the way down to the concrete alley floor, mere feet from her bike. She had gotten to it faster than she had expected, the police were still a few streets away. She pulled at the thick dirty canvas that hid her ride from prying eyes. Finally the police cars passed and the radio in her helmet tuned in to their frequency automatically. The rush? Armed robbery at a local apartment complex. Three robbers with reports of at least two hostages.

_Easy._

Tonight was perfect.

* * *

"Delete. Delete. Delete. Delete. And delete," Curtis let out a sigh of relief. Finally all the incriminating files had been wiped from his computer. If he really needed those programs again, he could easily write them. But he didn't foresee needing them any time soon.

Curtis made his way out of his room and into the house. His lonely house. His father was still at work and his mother wasn't around. So with nothing to do, he turned on the television set. The news flashed on screen. Apparently his father had been home at some point today. Summer Gleason's pretty face was marked with a mixture of fear and anxiety.

"Though the scene behind me doesn't seem active, the armed men are reportedly making their demands to the police. Demands that the police will no doubt reject. But until the reinforcements arrive, the authorities have no choice but to stall for time. Tensions are high and..."

Curtis sighed. Gotham was returning to the way it was before the Lords. Gotham needs Batman: his city screams.

* * *

Batman sat at the Batcomputer, elbows on the control panel, fingers intertwined and his nose resting just on top of them. On the screen, the same scene played out. Yes, Gotham was screaming for a hero. But he wasn't the hero Gotham needed.

As he watched the screen, a flicker of movement caught his eye, "Alfred," he broke the cave's silence, his voice echoing among the crevasses, "Split screen output. Rewind broadcast thirty seconds and pause,"

"Yes, Master Bruce," The BatCave's Artificial Intelligence, named Alfred in memory of his past caretaker, quickly split the screen into two video feeds and on the left screen rewound the broadcast the specified number of seconds and then paused.

There it was. Or rather, _she_ was. A feminine figure in the top corner of the screen. Against the clear dark sky, the casual observer would have missed her, but Batman was not the casual observer. Her costume was unmistakably theatrical and the resemblance to his motif was nothing short of uncanny.

"Alfred," he spoke in a tenser tone, "Zoom and enhance image,"

Within seconds the image was enlarged and the figure was enhanced as best as possible using artificial intelligence. Batman's suspicions proved correct; the girl had modeled her costume after his own. Grey padded suit, similar cape and a belt that appeared to be some shade of yellow. Of course, there were some obvious differences in design and definitely quality, but the overall effect was the same. Batman leaned back into his chair.

"Alfred, loop the next five seconds," The clip played from her appearance to her disappearance from the screen over and over and he studied it intently, "Sloppy landing. Her footwork needs practice," Without even meaning to, he began to critique the woman's technique, "I would be able to hear her through the roof before she would even get across to the access door,"

"So you are just going to let untrained children run around doing what you promised you would do?" The voice was unmistakable. It was his own voice, but it was not from his own body.

Not missing a beat, Batman replied to his dimensional double, "Surprised you could find your way back here,"

The other Batman huffed and then replied, "If that is your excuse for a greeting, your social skills need more work,"

"You know what I meant," Batman stood from his chair and turned to his double, "Besides, I am not worthy of defending this city against whatever comes up,"

The other Batman left his spot in the shadows near the dimensional portal and approached the Batcomputer, "Those hostiles wouldn't stand a chance against you. Within seconds, the entire building would be swept and they would be in handcuffs. Whether the public likes you anymore or not does not matter. Your concern is to make certain that what happened to you as a child will not happen to anyone else. Ever,"

Batman turn away from the other, "That is impossible. There are millions of people in this city. Thousands of them are put in life-threatening conditions daily,"

"It all adds up,"

"Never fast enough to pay back what is lost. When the Justice Lords reigned, at least the streets were safe,"

"At what cost? The people weren't free and the law was skewed. Working in the shadows one case at a time, and within bounds, gives hope,"

Batman paused, "Another 'man' spoke of 'hope' to the people. But look at how dismal that turned out to be," He leaned forward onto the table top and grimaced. He knew what he was saying was wrong. He had become Batman to give something to the people, to become something incorruptible. He became a symbol, a legend. But now because of one choice, he had run his reputation into the ground.

The other Batman turned from the screen. "You made a mistake," he said with emphasis on the last word, "So what? Pick yourself up. You have gifts that not many are granted with: wealth, intellect, training, determination. Sitting in this cave and sulking about making one bad decision is a waste of those talents," His voice started to echo more and get farther. He was getting ready to leave.

"Your Gotham is crying out to you, for you, so much that an inexperienced juvenile has taken it upon herself to put herself in harm's way just to do what needs to be done. What you need to be doing,"

The dimensional gateway powered up and a dull yellow light flashed through the cave. "You once said that you are willing to put your life on the line to do what is necessary, but it has to be yours. No one else's," He started to step through the gateway. "I do hope the next time I come through here, things will be different," And he was gone.

Batman turned to look at the frozen image on the Batcomputer. Even so, his feelings did not change. There was no weight lifting from his shoulders. The burden on his back was still there and he didn't know why.

He looked at his reflection in the table top surface. He was right about what he thought earlier; he wasn't the hero Gotham needs right now. He looked at the live feed. The hostages were still in the building and there was no mention of the bat-clad figure who had flashed in the corner.

* * *

Five minutes ago she hit the rooftop of the apartment complex. Without breaking stride, she ran to the closest skylight and jumped into it. The resulting shatter and sprinkle of glass stunned the two gunmen and thanks to a quick foot in the face, one was out before she even touched the ground. The other reached for his gun and his fingers wrapped around the hand grip. However, he didn't have the chance to draw it; her fists came fast and furious to his gut. One, two. The man doubled over in pain and Kimber brought her armored knee up fiercely. Upon connection, the man's head snapped back and he was out.

To be safe, the heroine released the magazines from both thugs guns and tossed them out one of the far windows before moving to the last room.

That was five minutes ago.

Now she was dodging bullets.

_This is not how I had planned for this to go._ She had safely rescued the two hostages before the final gunman found his buddies and decided to check in on the hostages. She had planned for this. What she hadn't planned for was the submachine gun he had on his person.

"Escalation's a bitch," she muttered as she dove behind another metal table. She had no ranged weapons except for the sharpened metal spikes, but she had yet to actually test them, "Might as well,"

"C'mon out, sneaker!" The criminal shouted as he started to switch out the now-empty magazine for a fresh one, "I know you are still here! You the Bat?"

_It is now or never..._ Kimber jumped up from behind her hiding spot, curled her arm into her body and then let the makeshift shurikens loose. One missed, but two hit their mark; one in his bare arm and the other embedded itself in his cheek.

The man howled in anguish and made the mistake of the night: he dropped his now-loaded gun to the ground. He clenched his eyes shut as his hands instinctively rushed to his face. A boot slammed heavily into his spine pushing him forward and to the floor then another boot harshly rolled him over. A shadowy figure's helmeted face intruded on his personal space and a gravelly yet feminine voice met his ears: "I'm Batgirl,"

Batgirl reared her head back and smashed her armored forehead into the bridge of the thugs nose, rendering him unconscious.

"Now for some fun," She murmured as she tore up his jacket. Then she withdrew a very long piece of rope from her hip and looped it around two pillars near a window. Then she tied the unconscious man's two arms to the two ends of the rope and, with some effort, tossed him out the window. To anyone outside, it was the crude representation of a bat. She did this every time she went out. Somehow she found a way to leave her mark, though this was the most dramatic.

Footsteps. The police had heard the gunshots and saw the man drop. Soon they would be in the room. Not a problem. She broke down another door and escaped through a second story window, dropping to the ground. _There it is._ She approached her bike and walked it to the rear of the building. As she did, she noticed a motorcyclist standing on the side of the road, watching her, speeding away just as police started to surround the building and barely missing the spotlight of the police blimp.

_Okay, not easy. But still a perfect night._

* * *

Batman watched the man drop and saw the shape created when his body settled against the building. The steady heaving of his chest gave away his vitals. _He'll live,_ He had a strange feeling of nostalgia watching the girl's performance. He had done something similar when he was just starting out.

"That's it then. This is a fresh start for Gotham. Recognizable enough to be familiar, but born from this new era," Batman shut the screen off and removed his face for the first time in two days, thus putting on the facade of Bruce Wayne.

As he continued to remove his second skin and put on the costume he wore by day, he contemplated what would become of him.

* * *

Curtis wanted to applaud. It had been like watching a movie from the backseat of a car. He had caught a flicker in the corner of the screen and, thanks to the magic of satellite television, was able to rewind the clip. Watching closer, he saw the person on the roof. From there, he ignored the reporter and even muted the television to focus on the background. He noticed the flashes of light from gun fire and even caught a second glimpse of the person jumping across the window area. The grand finale of the segment being one of the thugs displayed from the window, like a tattered bat signal, showing every TV set tuned in to GNN that Batman was back and crime was about to have a real tough time.


	4. Chapter 4

Batgirl watched from a safe distance as the police paraded the gunmen from the apartment building, "Another successful run," She said with satisfaction. Turning away from the scene, she pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed her father's number, "Papa, you called?" She had felt the phone ringing earlier, but could not answer due to the lousy reception and gunfire.

"I'm fine... No, no... I'm at the park... Centennial Park...No, I'll be home before then..."

In the distance over the phone she heard a dull roar. "Papa, I have to go..." She started to run towards the noise as she tried to end the phone call. "No, I just want to go for a walk, that's all...exercise and such," Beneath her helmet, she rolled her eyes. He did this almost every time a criminal was apprehended; he would call her no matter what time or what she was doing and try to talk for as long as possible.

_I've had just about enough of this conversation,_ she thought as she headed back to her bike, "Papa... Papa? You're breaking up!" she held a small device in her offhand and her service started to waver, "Alright, bye. Uh huh… I love you, too," And the conversation was over.

She looked at the cell phone signal jammer in her hand and smiled. Though they may have been illegal, the handy device definitely rescued her from many burdensome phone conversations. She never really was one to talk on the phone. Even a ten minute call would easily try her patience.

"Now, about that roar," She revved her motorcycle's engine and then took off in the direction of the disturbance.

* * *

"Attention all units. Reports of gunfire and explosions in the Southern Square Plaza near Coventry," Goren Lee's radio cackled in the car. There was a boom over the radio and the female voice came back on; this time it was frantic, "Officer down! Officer down! Requesting immediate support and medical!" The officer didn't even wait for a response.

Goren gritted his teeth and grabbed onto the handle mounted on the roof squad car, "Hurry up,"

Goren's partner, Elden, didn't need to be told twice. Hell, officer down? He didn't even need to be told at all to push the car to its limits. Sirens blaring and lights flashing, their police cruiser rocketed down the streets, a blue and red blur for justice.

* * *

Batgirl weaved in and out of the late-night traffic. She was glad that she didn't do patrols during the day. She was already riding without a motorcycle license, she didn't need the added stress of heavy traffic. As she bobbed at weaved through the cars on the road, she approached a very familiar police cruiser speeding in the same direction as her.

_Crap..._ She came up along the passenger side. Looking to her left, she saw her father and his partner, Elden.

The two law enforcement officers looked at her half with surprise and half understanding, realizing that she was on her way to the same call.

Batgirl only gave one nod of acknowledgement before leaning forward on her bike and speeding past them. _That could have gone much worse._

* * *

Goren Lee's car screeched to a halt and he was out before Elden even cut the engine, "What is the situation?" He called out over sporadic gunfire.

An officer looked back at him momentarily, "What do you think, Chief? We have been pinned here for ten minutes and the fight is still going on. We have no idea how many men are really in there now, what their demands are, or even the kind of weapons they have!" The man turned back, ducked behind his car, then popped up to fire off a few rounds before pausing. "What's more is that this guy is a nutcase!"

"Thought you said that you don't know how many men are in there?"

"We don't, but we do know that they have one guy; a main guy. He calls himself 'Mr. Death' and parades around in some sort of skeleton costume. The first few victims thought- woah!" More gunfire poured out from the upper window of the building and peppered the police cars and barricade outside the entrance. "Most victims thought he was a street performer," finished the officer.

Elden approached on his hands and knees, "Is there any way to get in there?"

Goren peeked under the car's frame to get a better look at the building, "There's a complex on the side of this building that's been under renovation for the last few weeks, right? Have you seen any activity from that side?"

The officer shook his head, "We are not sure, sir. We've been pinned here since we arrived," There was a momentary break in the gunfire and the men and women of the law cautiously stood up. The officer gestured slightly to the left with his head, "You're right. To the left there is what seems to be a shop undergoing repairs. If we draw their fire, think you can slip in through there?"

"I called for SWAT on the way here," Elden announced, "But they won't be here for another half hour. You know, chain of command and all. Who knows how much damage will be done in that time. And that's not even speaking of if there's anyone inside that is in danger,"

"Not to mention what could happen when these lunatics sees the big guns rolling in..." Goren sighed before pulling Elden away, "We need to get in there. If anything we could be the eyes on the inside,"

Elden scratched his prematurely balding scalp, "Makes sense… And me without my bulletproof vest," He added with a touch of humor.

Goren nodded at the officer by the car to affirm the plan then turned back to Elden, "You're not the only one," He opened his trench coat and revealed he, too, was just as vulnerable. Just the trench coat and a dress shirt over his chest, "Let's try not to get shot, eh?"

* * *

Batgirl was two buildings behind the firefight. With one ear on the police scanner, she heard the entire plan her father and Elden had arranged. "Gotta try and get there first..." Heart pounding, she ran as fast as she could, clearing the first building in one jump and grabbing the ledge of the second one after a slip up. _Can't mess up. Not with Papa's life on the line._

After a moment to catch her breath, she stood and looked from her vantage point to the back of the building housing the gunmen. With her father entering from her right side, she had to choose a new point of entry. Originally, she was going to enter through the complex under renovation, as well, but she knew she couldn't get there before her father.

By now, a small crowd had gathered around the area. A few nighttime joggers, some teens and a helmeted motorcyclist. She wasn't exactly ready to be seen by the general public, but this was no time to let personal preference to get in the way. Without thinking about much else, she jumped towards the target building and grabbed onto the ledge of a second story window with surprising ease. In another swift motion, she vaulted inside.

Once in, the gun fire was more audible to the point that she had to switch off her radio to concentrate. From the left she saw two men, both with automatic weapons lazily resting on their shoulders, smoking, as somewhere else someone else was blasting away at the courtyard and street below.

_Two guys with assault rifles? Phooey._ She snuck behind one of the guys and quickly put him in a headlock. Before the second man could react, she pivoted around her prisoner and kicked the second man in the gut. _That bought me some time._ She brought her knee into the first man's chest and then brought her armored elbow in contact with the base of his neck. _One down._

"Who the hell are you?" The second man coughed out. He wheezed as he raised his rifle to fire, but Batgirl was gone.

From the rafters above she watched him. _I sure hope this works._ She dropped down onto the man; both knees going passed his head, her crotch slamming into the base of his neck and her armored stomach hitting against the top of his head. The impact made the man stumble forward, but he did not fall.

_Nope. Didn't work._ He was about to scream out when she put a gloved hand over his mouth and twisted her hips to one side and her body to the opposite side. He toppled.

Batgirl scrambled upon him before he could right himself and finished him with a solid strike to the bridge of his nose. "Okay, he just needed encouragement," She continued to move through the site.

* * *

Goren and Elden cleared the first floor of goons before moving on to the second.

"Someone has beaten us here," Goren kicked an unconscious form on the floor with little care.

Elden moved both assault rifles away from the unconscious men, "Wonder who that would be?"

There was a thump the floor above them, "Probably whoever is upstairs?"

The two officers broke into a run for the stairs.

* * *

"Where is your leader?" She growled at the semi-conscious man slumped against the wall.

"I... ugh..,"

"C'mon, filth!" Batgirl back-handed his face with her thick gauntlet. "Think, if you can!"

"I dun..ugh. I dunno..heseddeath...would..." His words were a jumbled incoherent mess strung together with gurgling and squealing.

_Maybe a bit too brutal. I'm getting nowhere, and fast._ She thought to herself, _What would Batman do?_ She looked around. She had thought for sure Mr. Death would be the man on the main gun, but instead the skeleton man was nowhere to be found on the third floor. There were just more goons.

"I…want...my lawyer," He slumped in Batgirl's grasp and she released him. He fell to the floor with a thump. The man was unconscious.

_Or dead._ She noticed the rhythmic heaving of his chest. _Nope, just unconscious._

"Some party, huh?"

Batgirl rose and spun around quickly to see her father and Elden cautiously stepping over the few bodies that littered the floor, both had their service pistols drawn. Elden peeked out the window to see what the situation outside was like as Goren approached the young heroine, "Any idea where the main man is?" He was obviously nervous.

"No," She was nervous as well, she just hoped he couldn't tell through the layers of dark armor. She moved away from Goren to leave. He didn't notice; he was still looking over her handiwork.

_All I gotta do is -_

"Bat... uh, girl?"

_Dammit!_ Batgirl draped her cape over her hands and nodded for the Elden to speak.

"He's not here, is he? The guy in the biker skeleton outfit? Thought for sure you'd pin him down. He slip by you?"

_**Biker** skeleton outfit? Must have missed that part._ She stayed silent.

"You didn't know?" Goren stood and faced the hero with a look of surprise.

Batgirl took offense to that. She was no World's Greatest Detective, but cut her some slack! She had only been doing this for a few months, "Threat assessment. I was busy saving your men,"

"But shouldn't all you Bat-clan members be amazing detectives or somethi-LOOK OUT!" Goren's tone went from questioning to alert in a split second.

Batgirl turn and braced just in time to be struck in the head with a thick object.

"You do-gooders!" came a slightly high-pitched voice. "Always sticking your noses where they don't belong!"

Another strike to the face and Batgirl remembered why she chose to use a motorcycle helmet as a head covering instead of a cloth mask: She would be dead by now. The heroine stumbled back, stunned. With her right hand holding her head, her left hand waved out haphazardly on instinct... only to be struck again, this time behind her left shoulder.

She hissed in anger and pain.

_That's going to leave a mark. Have fun explaining that one, Kim._ She bit her lip and fought back tears. _Fight back, fight back!_ She lifted her head in time to see the baseball bat that hit her coming down towards her.

_Screw. This._ Her right arm shot out and caught the bat mid-arc and pulled it back. The assaulter was caught off-guard and lurched forward, all the opening she needed. She pulled herself in close so her right hip was aligned with his left hip and her right hand was still clutching the bat with all her might. With her injured arm, she withdrew her stun baton and jabbed it into the man's neck. Pure electricity coursed through his body and he stiffened like a corpse. With a growl, Batgirl then stepped forward with her right leg, putting it behind the incapacitated man, and then threw him forward. He hit the ground, still twitching from the experience.

"Are you alright?" Elden came up to the hero, but she threw the bat to the side and instinctively backed away further into the shadows.

"I'm sure he will be more than happy to answer your questions," And then she was gone.

"One thing I remember about the Bat-Clan," Goren crouched before the taser victim, "They never say good-bye,"

* * *

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!_ Kimber tucked the duffle bag holing her suit into a hidden cache in her car, the spare tire well, and then wheeled her bike back to the deserted service alleyway that housed it. _How could I have been so stupid?_ She plopped down behind the wheel of her sedan in the parking structure and just sat, reflecting on the night's activities.

She had inspected her shoulder as she was changing and a bruise was already forming. And it was a nasty one. "Chiz, that was bad. The night was so great until that moment... What happened?"

_You got sloppy._ Her mind reminded her.

"Gee, thanks. That was a rhetorical question though," She kicked herself as she started the car ride home. "Was it because Papa was there?" Perhaps. Maybe she wanted to prove her dual identity was not only here to stay, but would also be of help. "Instead I made the mistake of not finishing the sweep and getting tunnel vision. Oh, and making an ass out of myself. Can't forget that,"

She turned into her house's garage and blew a sigh of relief at the second empty space, _Good, he still isn't home. Not getting grounded tonight, at least._

_Well, I'm beat._ Kimber walked stiffly through the empty house. From her pocket, she drew out her cellphone and scrolled through a bunch of texts. Most were nonsense but some she did feel inclined to respond to. She opened a thread of messages from Mawk. He was inviting her to a midnight showing of some movie.

"No thanks," she texted back. "Feelin' tired. Goin' beddy bye,"

The text had not been delivered two seconds before Mawk called her phone. Kimber put on her best impression of a tired soul. It honestly didn't take much acting, "Mm, 'ello?"

"Already?" Mawk's response was quick and incredulous, "Kim, it's winter break! Surely you aren't going to bed before one in the morning?" His tone was one of surprise.

Kimber didn't even reply right way. Instead, she yawned into the receiver and smacked her lips obnoxiously then replied, "Well, yeah, I'm sleepy, bud. I gotta get some beauty rest. How else do I continue to look so youthful?" She finally joked in a sleepy drawl. The real reason she wanted to sleep? Her father could be home within an hour or two. She didn't feel like being awake with her bruise so apparent.

Mawk sighed over the phone, "Kim, can we maybe do something tomorrow?"

"I dunno, maybe? Will you even have time tomorrow if you've got to prep for your winter shindig?"

"Ouch, you're right. Totally forgot," Mawk admitted, "And 'shindig'? You're using outdated lingo, Kim. You are tired," Mawk laughed but the laugh trailed off in a sad sort of way, "Get some rest, Kimmi. I will catch up with you tomorrow,"

Kimber blew a kiss over the receiver and hung up the phone.

* * *

Curtis stood from his chair, closed his laptop, and lay back on his bed. But he didn't drift off to sleep just yet. He let his mind wander. Earlier that day he had met Kimber. Gotham High was a strange place. He was a senior in high school half way through the year... and he was still just meeting classmates. Then again, he wasn't the most social teen in school, opting for studying over partying, but Kimber was someone he could have met before. Sure he had seen her from a distance, but that had always been it: distance. She wasn't unapproachable like some rich, spoiled kid, or the president of any club, she was just an average teen.

"An adorable average teen," he smiled as his mind played back the moment she sashayed away from him to Mawk's car. "Pretty cute, Kimber,"

Everyone must have made that mistake at one time or another. Her name was pretty... odd. As if her parents wanted it to be a practical joke she could never live down. He'd never really seen Kimber's mother around, but he knew her father well. Who didn't know the new police chief? After all, he was in way over his head keeping the city safe.

"That's one hell of a job. Keep this festering pit of a city safe. Feh, good luck, Mr. Lee,"

At least Batman was back. Or at least Curtis hoped he was. The news never reported on the mysterious figure. He even searched some blogs and still found nothing about Batman's apparent return, even with the hanging criminal. In fact, many news sites that reported the apartment building standoff cut the ending of the standoff altogether. "Suppose I am the only one who noticed... Or cares,"

With his thoughts filled with a hero and a beauty, Curtis drifted to sleep.

* * *

"Six parties in one day. Four of which I was not invited to," Bruce Wayne mechanically sat down on the master bedroom bed. He hadn't been in this room in a long while. _Come to think of it... I don't think I even remember this room..._ He knew he had been in it a few times before, but couldn't for the life of him recall when. Not that it was important. There was no way to access the BatCave from this room. Perhaps that is why he didn't remember it? Perhaps that is also why he was choosing to sleep in here tonight; so he wouldn't be tempted to go back down.

"I'm not Batman anymore, am I?" He looked in the mirror and almost didn't recognize the face that stared back. He had shaved the stubble from his chin and had combed his hair down. It was the neatest he'd looked in weeks.

"This isn't me. I can feel it. I can't be who I am anymore, but I have to be what I am not," _That made no sense, Wayne. Get a hold of yourself. Wait... Wayne?_ He never called himself 'Bruce' or 'Wayne' in his mind. _Now I know I am going insane..._ He kicked off his shoes and socks, but made no effort to remove the rest of the expensive suit he wore. He turned on his side and drifted to empty sleep in the foreign bed. Tomorrow was going to be a unique day. He had an appointment to keep.


	5. Chapter 5

Bruce Wayne emerged from his one of a kind sports car and entered the doors of the medical facility. With his trademark swagger and grin, no one could tell on the inside he was broken and nervous. He leaned over the receptionists desk and eyed the worker behind it. She didn't notice him. _She doesn't look too bad. Or at least not as bad as she used to,_ he said to himself, _Time to put on the ol' Wayne Charm, Bruce._

Without looking at him, the blonde receptionist greeted him, "Is there something I could help you with, sir?"

"Yes. I am here for two reasons. First I have a scheduled visit with a patient. And second, I would love to have you accompany me for dinner tomorrow night,"

The young girl looked up in shock, "Mr-Mr. Wayne!" She nearly knocked her computer over in surprise. "I didn't realize it was you!" She stuttered.

Bruce cracked a sideways smile, "It's nice to see you Harleen. Everything alright?" He reached over the cleft of the desk and righted an upset pencil holder.

"Everything's peachy, thanks for askin'!" Harleen scrambled to get the file of Mr. Wayne's patient... and a pen and sticky note to scrawl her number down on. "Here's your file!" Her voice suddenly perky and light, "And here," she handed him the sticky note, "is my number. Call me," She winked.

His eyes twinkled and he gave her a mischievous wink, "Talk to you soon, Herleen," Bruce walked away from the desk and through the white double doors that separated the lobby from the rest of the hospital. _Did I really just set a date with Harley Quinn? Only a few years ago she wanted to kill me._ Then again, he wasn't Batman anymore.

He entered the recovery wing of the hospital and was directed by a staff member to the room his patient waited in. He took a deep breath, ran his fingers through his hair and stepped through the door.

* * *

"One more day..." Kimber was up and about, but she was very groggy. Surprisingly, she was looking forward to Mawk's party. A time when she would be up late but not because she was being shot at? Sounded like great fun to her. At least, somewhat.

"Papa?"

No response.

Then she remembered she was the only one on vacation. Her father didn't get a winter break in the working world and probably left for work earlier in the morning. Hell, now that she thought about it, she wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't come home at all after the drama last night.

A voice message on her cellphone confirmed her hypothesis. "'Hey, Kimber, Papa here. Didn't come home last night due to casework and paperwork. The more I work, the more work comes in. The bureaucracy is already well on it's way to obscuring what needs to be done. I'm sorry I couldn't be home. There's cold hash in the fridge, I think. Hopefully that's enough for you to forgive me. Just warm it up and it should be good to eat. Love you, Kim. Over and out,"

Kimber smirked at her father's closing line. He sounded tired and it was entirely possible he defaulted as if he was talking to an officer, not his daughter, "Thanks, Papa. I love you, too," she deleted the message from her phone and began to forage in the fridge for food.

* * *

"Hello?"

"It's Mawk,"

"Oh, hey," Curtis paused his game system and sat up in his bean bag. "What's up?" He adjusted the phone against his ear to get a better sound.

"I heard that Kimber invited you to my winter bash," The jock continued, "Wasn't my idea, but it's whatev's. If you are gonna come, you gotta help set up, though. I know you're good with that sort of stuff,"

Curtis shrugged. Mawk was a good kid. Could be a bit of a bully at times, but he generally was a goofball who made fun of himself just as much as he teased other people. To be fair, he was still a bit surprised Mawk wasn't calling to force him not to go. "What do you want me to do?"

"You're a tech geek, right?"

_Gee, thanks._ ''Yeah, I s'pose..,"

"Great! I need the strobe lights to match in sync with the music. I got Jerome over here working on his DJ skills, but not only do his skills need work-"

A voice in the background raised in protest, "Hey!"

"Shut up!" Mawk turned his voice back to the phone conversation, "But, he has no idea how to sync the lights to his system,"

"And you want me to be over when? Now?"

"Tonight. Or this evening. Near sunset or something. Best time to test the effect in the dark,"

"Okay, cool. I can do that," Curtis replied as he wrote down the appointment on his bulletin board.

"Terrif'," Mawk replied with his custom slang term for 'terrific'. As defined by Mawk, 'terrif' is 'everything terrific is but with half the work'. "Later days,"

Click.

Curtis stared at the phone in his hand. "Tech... geek?"

* * *

"Bruce," The woman opposite the room entrance greeted her visitor. "Come to visit little me, again? What brings you back here so much?"

"Diana," Bruce acknowledged the former Wonder Woman curtly. "I'm proud of you. You've made a full recovery. You've provided an apology and shown remorse for your actions. How do you feel?"

Diana smiled, "I feel free, like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. The burden I carried for so long is gone and I feel like a new person,"

"I noticed you've been growing out your hair," Bruce added, gesturing to the former hero's shoulder-length curls. "I'm guessing you're feeling more liberated from the past?"

Diana nodded and brushed some bangs from her forehead, "Yes, but I am still walled up in this place. There was a time when this wouldn't be able to hold me," She looked around her at the four walls that held her in with sadness. "But now, I'm..,"

"Human?"

Diana nodded and looked to him. "I suppose you are used to being human by now?" she asked with a sly smile tickling her lips.

Bruce chuckled slightly, "I would hope so!"

"I do have to ask one thing,"

"What is it?"

"So in this wonderful place you have set me in, they don't let us get much television time. I have to ask: has he returned?" Her eyes lit up and looked deep into his, as if searching his own mind for an answer.

_All this time and all the changes and she still thinks about Batman? What are the odds?_ "No. He is not back. Nor do I think he will...come back,"

"Oh.," Both their faces fell, but for different reasons. Then Diana continued, "After I am released next month... What will happen to me?"

"Hopefully," Bruce replied, "you will be accepted by society and become a productive citizen of Gotham. Just because you no longer have superpowers doesn't mean you are powerless. Find a job, make a life. Maybe get married,"

Diana forced a yawn. "A job? Married? How uninspiring... What else is written on that script the doctor gave you?"

* * *

Goren looked through the one-way glass at his prisoner. The man was in chains and an orange jumpsuit. Even though there was no possible way for the criminal to see Goren, his fierce brown eyes seemed to pierce through the glass and stab into the police chief's soul.

"We've been at this for hours. He isn't breaking," Goren sighed. Moving away from the window, he leaned back on the wall and looked at the detective in charge of the interrogation of the prisoner, Stacey Ahms.

"I don't know what to say, Goren," Stacey replied, "All I could get out of him was that he wasn't Mr. Death. But that went without saying,"

The door opened and a pudgy young man handed Stacey a manila folder. She leafed through it with disappointment, "More good news; fingerprint report just came through. Nothing new. He's some low-level IT technician at a sleazy car dealership. We got nothing,"

"Hurrah,"

The two sat in silence, staring at nothing in particular, then jumped at a sound.

_Tap tap tap._

They looked back at the one-way glass.

"I can't see any of you," The prisoner's voice was muffled, "But I would like to make my one phone call now, please,"

Goren looked at Stacey, "Why not?" He shrugged, "Tap the line. Record both ends," He instructed. He moved for the door and motioned for the guard at the door to retrieve the prisoner from the holding chamber. The man said nothing as he was removed from the concrete room and chaperoned to a wall with phones.

"Pick one,"

The odd man closed his eyes for a moment and Goren noticed his lips subtly moving, as if praying. Then, viciously, the man grabbed at one of the phones and dialed a memorized number, "Hello? Yes, sir. Huh, huh," The man smiled and handed the receiver to Goren, "It's for you," he sang.

Cautiously, Goren took the phone, "Hello?"

"You have one of my flock in custody, Mr. Lee,"

"Listen, Jean-Paul, if it means so much to you, why don't you come on down to the station and we'll sort it out?" Goren immediately shot back, "You might as well just give up without a fight. You don't want anymore deaths on your hands,"

The man on the other line chortled, "Goren, you seem to have forgotten my name. Death is what I'm all about," The sentence sent shivers through Goren's spine. "You'd better release my man, or someone close to you may pay the ultimate price,"

_Click._

Goren stood there with the phone still to his ear. His mind flashed through the names and faces of everyone dear to him that this mad man could have access to.

"Well, Mr. Lee?" The prisoner broke the silence rudely, "What's it gonna be?"

Furious, Goren spun around and ordered the prisoner back to his cell.

"Oh-hokay," laughed the man as officers escorted him to lockup, "We'll see who has the last laugh! You just may want to warn your ex-wife! Oh, and that brat of a daughter, too!" And then he was gone.

* * *

"Well, I'd best get going," Bruce slapped his thighs before standing, "It was wonderful to see you again, Diana,"

"Likewise," Diana used a napkin to dust off some of the bagel crumbs clinging to her lips, "A visit from the man who heard my plea is always welcome. Just can't wait to get out of this place,"

Bruce flashed her a thumbs up. Diana gave a small smile and reciprocated.

"Hurry back, now!" She called as he stepped out the door, "You may not be able to catch me after I'm released,"

Bruce just smiled and closed the door. _Oh, Diana..._ As he walked past the Harley's desk. He wondered why of all the Justice Lords she was the only member to seek reformation.

_Well, she will be starting a new life. Without the Lords and without Batman. That is what matters. Things change._ He had never admitted it, but for the short time they were on the team, he felt a sort of... connection with the Amazon princess. She was alone in what she referred to as "Man's World" and he was alone by choice and circumstance. Sure the others could have been argued to be solitary individuals, but they were still charismatic and rather personable to media. Especially Clark. Wonder Woman was too naive to hold conversation those first formative years, and Batman... well that was self-explanatory.

"I'll see you tomorrow night, Mr. Wayne," Harley cooed after Wayne as he exited. "You better not be late," She added with a wink.

Once again, Bruce just smiled.

* * *

Kimber pulled her bicycle from the garage. With her father at work again, the house was quiet and boring. Feeling the need for some speed and adrenaline, she decided to take her bike out of retirement and go for a quick ride around the block. Gotham was not as dangerous as it was before the Justice Lords; during the day, crimes rarely happened. Much of the horror shifted to night, now.

"And this is just what I need to relax; a brisk ride," She hopped on the bike seat and took off down the street. "Left or right? Left,"

She veered left and onto the sidewalk, weaving between a few pedestrians. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she did know that wherever she was heading, the journey there would be a calming one.

* * *

"Hey, uh, Curt?"

"What's up, Mawk?"

Over the phone, Mawk gave a nervous laugh, "So Jerome kinda did a thing and a fuse blew. Mind comin' over earlier to fix it?"

_One time. One time I work for the school's maintenance team and suddenly I'm some sort of field tech,_ "Sure," Curtis replied easy, "I can do that, I guess,"

"Terrif', broski. See you in ten,"

_Click._

_More like twenty,_ Curtis shook his head and turned off the TV. With a weary sigh, he removed and then chugged a water bottle from the fridge then headed for his room to change into actual day clothes.

After taking some time showering and dressing, Curtis ran out of the house and pulled out of his house's carport. A quick check of the time informed him that by his own standards, he was five minutes behind schedule. Curtis sucked his teeth and drove down the hill. He was on his way to Mawk's house.

* * *

Bruce was distracted. By what, he wasn't sure, but there was a nagging feeling in his heart as if something crawled into his thoracic cavity and died. At first he thought it had something to do with the alfredo he ate at one of the parties the day before, but then he recognized it as an emotion. What was it? Regret? Sadness? He couldn't put his finger on it.

"Snap out of it, Bruce. If it is anything, it is probably separation anxiety," He took a swig from the water bottle in his cup holder before making a right turn at the next light, "You are so used to being 'Batman' that now that you have killed the operation, you have to kill that drive in you," But he wasn't sure if he could do it.

He had become so enveloped in the identity of the Bat that he'd even referred to himself as 'Batman' mentally for years. Seeing himself outside of the suit made him feel like he was watching a movie. In first-person, "Get a grip, Wayne," His grip tightened on the steering wheel.

He passed by a newspaper stand presenting the Gotham Gazzette's headline of the day: 'Mr. Death Continues to Confound Cops'. His mind popped back to the night the Bat-dressed female had made her appearance.

Only a few months and already things are going to hell. The city seemed so quiet at night. But he knew it never really was. As soon as the Justice Lords were gone, crime rates everywhere skyrocketed. Not quite back to normal levels, but definitely trending there if not higher. There were even webpages petitioning the return of the Justice Lords. There weren't very many of them, but they were there.

_But a supervillain with a gimmick and a name already? This is a sick cit-_ He was unable to finish that thought as an unanticipated event began to play out.

In the corner of his eye was a bike rider zooming across the street: no pads, no helmet. No care. Bruce did some quick calculations in his head and realized he would hit her no matter what. Nevertheless, he slammed on the brakes. There was a screech, then a scream, followed by a thump and a thud, and then finally a sick twisting of metal as his modified bullet-resistant sports car ate the hollow aluminum frame of the bicycle. The rider had slammed onto the hood, hit the windshield, and then rolled over the roof, disappearing from Bruce's view.

"Damn," with that word, Wayne jumped out of his car to check on the rider before a crowd could gather. What he saw took him by surprise.

The rider seemed not only unhurt, but collected. She was crouched on the car roof in a very familiar manner: body low, both feet splayed out to the side, arms and fingers spread over the roof evenly. Her knees and elbows bent but loose and her breathing was controlled. Her eyes were darting every which way and seemed to take in every detail of her surroundings, like an animal in a life or death situation. Her lithe skin taut and the toned muscles beneath twitched, ready to fire off in any direction.

"Are you alright?" He asked, shaky.

The girl looked around from her perch. In an instant, the awareness washed away and she slid, awkwardly, from the top of the car to the ground. She made a clumsy stumble to the ground. _A very faked clumsy,_ Bruce noted.

"I'm fine. Probably sprained an ankle," Then she looked at him and eep'd. "You're Bruce Wayne!"

_Here comes another lawsuit..._ Bruce groaned inwardly as a small crowd started to gather.

"You don't remember me? Kimber Lee?" The girl's face was a funny mixture of awe and, strangely, happiness, "Goren Lee's kid!"

_Oh, the cop I punched in the-wait, not me. How the hell does she know me?_

Words continued to tumble out of the girl's mouth, "You gave-"

"Oh, right!" Bruce remembered now, "I gave your father the security job!" After Goren quit the force under the Justice Lords, Bruce Wayne opened his heart and offered the former cop a job guarding sensitive prototypes housed in Wayne Enterprises shipment yard. Of course, Goren didn't know that half of those shipments were for the Justice Lords. It was a sort of poetic irony that Bruce indulged in every-so-often, "Do you need an ambulance?" Bruce stuttered through his questions, "Can I give you a lift to your home?"

The girl's face scrunched up like a confused pup and then she remembered the accident she was literally just in: she was hit by her father's former employer, "Right," Then she pointed to the front of his car, "What about my bike?"

Bruce laughed, "I think I can afford to buy you a new one, Kimber," He wiped both hands together before getting on his hands and knees to retrieve what was left of her bike. The small crowd began to dissipate now. Obviously seeing the girl unhurt and easily conversing with the person who almost took her life in what could have been a bloody accident didn't hold their interest.

"Let me help ya out, Mr. Wayne," the teen in jeans and a casual tee also got down to her knees and helped the multi-billionaire in a one-of-a-kind tailored suit wrench the thrashed frame free of the car's grill and undercarriage.

During the ride to Kimber's home, the two conversed easily about life, her schoolwork, and city politics. Bruce was quite impressed at her grip on the sciences, especially her chemistry. She was only a senior in high school, but she was already strongly diverse in thought and opinion. Her conversations never ducked below her maturity and most actually exceeded his expectations.

"Here's your stop, kid," The custom car pulled up before Kimber's house, of course, garnering a few stares from nosy neighbors. "And again, sorry about your bike,"

"You'd best buy me a new one," She joked, "Or my father might be a wee bit angry,"

Bruce laughed also, certain she wasn't going to tell her father about the incident, "Tomorrow. Promise," He watched her walk away. For the entire ride she had been favoring her right side more than normal, and now that she was walking away, he could see why. Her left shoulder was obviously injured from the way her torso swung and from the way her left hand hung at her side rather... limply. Most likely from a blunt object injury.

A controlled roll over the car to disperse kinetic energy. The crouched landing position to be ready for whatever came next. Impressive knowledge of a vast number of subjects. Mature conversations. An injury most likely sustained by a brawl.

By the time he arrived at home, Bruce was convinced that this girl was the Batgirl.

* * *

Curtis arrived at Mawk's house ready to work. He wasn't, however, ready for the house itself. He knew Mawk's parents were loaded, but he had never actually seen any indication to the amount of their wealth. Even when Mawk drove to school, his car was an older model convertible with fading upholstery and in dire need of new rims. But Mawk's house... was big.

"Damn..."

"Hey, Curt! What's up, buddy?" Mawk ushered the less-fortunate student inside, "Stick close, ya? This house may be one story, but I've lost people here before,"

"I don't doubt that..."

After a few turns and doors, they entered into a large room filled with balloons and with one entire wall lined with tables and empty food bowls, "We were able to get the fuse fixed, but we still need the lights synced. I figured that instead of calling you and saying that we fixed the fuse, I'd just let you get your nerd crap over with sooner," Mawk smiled a genuine smile.

"...right. Where is the DJ table?"

"Over here, dude," another voice called.

Curtis turned and saw a slightly older Latino man standing behind a table working on two computers, "This is the system,"

Curtis eyed the table when he got closer. Two computers, three turntables, stereo system, the works, "Nifty,"

Jerome just looked at him, "People still say that?"

"I do," Curtis replied without looking at Jerome. He crouched the check the cable arrangement. It was a mess.

"Whatever, dude. Work your magic," And Jerome left. Probably to go eat something.

Curtis crawled under the table and began to take note of each wire. Out of the corner of his eye, a movement. "Wha-?" He turned and looked. Out the window was a man in white overalls and a black biker helmet peering through bushes. And then he was gone. Curtis was sure he had been there, but it happened so fast... maybe... "Forget it. Probably a gardener or something,"

He started to work.

* * *

"Put an APB out for this Mr. Death character and I want my ex-wife alerted to the danger she could be in. Where's my coffee? Montoya, my daughter! I need two squad cars, one down by the high school and the other at the academy, now! I need you to send an officer to my home. She'd be all alone there and I won't be home anytime soon. I want surveillance at my house twenty-four seven until this guy is caught! And where the bloody hell is the report on that phone call?" Goren's mouth didn't seem to stop spewing orders. But who could blame him? The first supervillain in this new Gotham had just threatened his family.

"Sir, the report is on its way, your ex has already been notified, and your coffee is in your left hand," Elden answered some of his partner's questions mechanically but with a hint of humor.

Goren just gave him a blank stare, "Funny, Elden. But what about my daughter?" He took a sip.

Montoya turned around in her chair, "Six cars have been dispatched. Two to the academy, three to the high school and one to your residence. ETA is five minutes on the one to your home,"

"Good," he felt his forehead. Sweat was practically oozing from his skin and scalp. His shirt sleeves had long been rolled up and his heart was racing a mile a minute. "Know what? I think I will be going home as well," He grabbed his coat in a hurried fashion and started for the locker room.

"Goren!"

The police chief did not stop moving, "Talk to me, Elden,"

"Report came in. That number dialed was to a pay phone on Madison Avenue. We accessed the security cameras in that area but the person who answered the phone, once again was dressed up in the biker garb, helmet and all. No way to identify,"

Goren didn't even respond as he switched his work clothes for his normal clothes. He picked up his backpack and took his kevlar vest down from the locker but left his work pistol. He had a higher caliber firearm at home. "See if you can nail the direction he went after the call or where he came from before. Then triangulate that location and access those cameras. If he walked the entire way from the 'Skirts, I don't care. Find out where this man came from or where he is!" Then he stormed out.

Elden didn't miss a beat. Raising his hand with the report high in the air, he yelled into the office, "You heard the man! Get to work!"

* * *

"Papa!" Kimber hugged her father then pulled away. "What's wrong, Papa?"

"What do you mean?" Goren asked absent-mindedly. He wasn't focused on her. He was focused outside, watching the streets.

"Either you really put on a few pounds in the office, or you forgot to take off your bulletproof vest. Again,"

Goren looked to his daughter, "Sweetie," he started slowly, "You could say that we are under house arrest,"

"What?" She looked outside again and saw a police cruiser across the street. It had been parked there for the past twenty minutes but she hadn't actually given it any thought, "What's going on?" she asked slowly.

Goren sat his daughter down, away from the window, and explained the situation.

There was a moment of silence.

"But... Mawk's party tomorrow?"

"Sorry, honey, but until this is taken care of, we... I won't let you go," Goren braced himself for the teenage angst that was sure to explode.

But it never came. "I understand, Papa," Kimber flopped back onto the couch and flipped through TV stations.

Goren was surprised. "You do?" He stammered in response.

"Yeah. Oh! And 'you're not being fair, I hate you, you just don't want me to have fun, and I wish I was never born.' Does that cover all the teenage cliches you were expecting?" She managed a smile through her disappointment.

"You forgot to threaten to sneak out of the house,"

"Oh," Kimber chuckled, "so I did," Her face didn't show it, but she was upset. Not necessarily because she probably wouldn't be able to go to the party the next day, but because she had missed him. _I was a fool. I saw that biker outside the building, in the crowd, but did nothing. If only I knew..._ But now she wouldn't get the chance any time soon to go toe-to-toe with Mr. Death and she regretted it. "So what are we supposed to do?"

"Chess?" Goren stood to retrieve the board game.

"Eh. Why not?"

He father came back with two items; the board game, and his gun, "Ready?"

"Only if you promise not to use that as a power-up,"

"A what?"

"It's a video game thing-Nevermind, Papa,"

The game began.

* * *

Three shadowy figures watched from their perch in a neighbor's abandoned tree house.

"We could go now!" whined one.

"Yeah we could, but I dunno if it would be the smartest thing," replied another.

"Completing this task early wouldn't be the smartest thing?" asked the first, "You are ridiculous, Rob,"

"You know how this works. Things have to be done in an… order. There is a time for everything. Remember Dymas," The third reminded his companions.

"Steve is right. We must wait for him to get here," Rob breathed in deeply then exhaled slowly. He scratched his leg, right by his calf was a combat knife.

"I always hated that story… What happened to Saint Dymas never sat right with me, you know?" The first one harrumphed in his seat and crossed his arms. "We could take them out right now without that officer seeing us. You know what Mr. Death said, we have to remove-"

"Gentlemen," A fourth voice elegantly floated among the branches. "The end is about to begin,"

The first three men turned around and saw a man in biker garb with a skull painted over the helmet face-plate climbing into the decrepit treehouse.

"Distribute the gear and call a blessing,"

Two of the men began doling out weapons as Steve uttered a quick prayer over the small group.

"Oh, and Edgar?" The biker helmeted man called to the first voice.

The Edgar turned to his leader.

"'Do not question the path set before you, lest you sway from the path and be counted out of the blessings to come'. Nathan eleven-fifteen,"

Edgar felt a heat rise to his cheeks, "Please,"

The mystery man grabbed Edgar by his neck and, in a swift motion, ripped out the man's throat. "No more will you speak," In another movement, Edger was pushed from the tree.

Arms waved, feet flailed, but his voice was lost. A muffled crunch was heard as the unfortunate man's head struck the run-down retaining wall made of brick. His body lay, broken, at the base of the tree house.


	6. Chapter 6

"PAPA!"

"Go! Run!" Boom.

Kimber ran.

"Surprise, girlie!"

Fist to the face. Knee to the groin. Run

"Where are you, little brat?"

Boom.

Sharp pain in her side. Blackout.

**-seven minutes before-**

"Ha! Check and mate!" Kimber laughed gleefully in her father's face as he put on his best pouty face. Circumstances aside, staying in the house playing chess in the setting sun was pretty fun. Rare were the days that she and her father would be doing an activity together. Usually he was at work or she was busy with school. It had been awhile since she and her father had played chess, but she hadn't grown rusty.

"I told you you should have tried out for the chess club,"

"I would have, if it wasn't for one thing,"

"What?"

"It's the chess club,"

"Oh please," Goren shook his head, "It shouldn't even carry that bad of a connotation. It is all about strategy, wit, and creativity. You've got to plan ahead, know your opponent and trick them into a false sense of security. It is like fighting a war!"

Kimber giggled, "Yeah, against pizza-faced, braces-wearing losers!"

"You know… I was on the chess team in high school," Her father said quietly.

"Oh... Well, I mean today is it for losers," She quickly tried to rewind the words.

"Nice try, kiddo. But I ain't buyin' that. Partly because you were right," Goren flexed his muscles, "I wasn't always the strapping young man you see today,"

"Young? Oh please, Papa-" The phone interrupted her sentence, "Caller I.D. says it's 'Jacqueline'? Why's mom calling?"

Her father scrambled to the phone, "It's for me, kiddo," He picked up the phone.

"Hello? No I'm alright… Yes… Yes, she's okay as well. We're all okay… I know… I know. Look, I'm sorry but I didn't bring you into this on purpose! ..."

As Goren's phone conversation got more and more heated Kimber snuck off to the kitchen to microwave a leftover slab of beef. Her suit was nowhere in the house, partly because her father loved to snoop. But right now, she wished it was. She had no idea what was going to happen or when or even if the threat was a bluff, but she would have felt more comfortable with her suit on at least under her clothes. After all, some of it was actually bulletproof, "And some bulletproof is better than a halter top and sweatpants," she mumbled.

There was a crash and instantly she set down the meat and looked to her father. "What was that?"

"I don't know," He primed his pistol and hushed her.

* * *

"Oops, mah bad," Steve chuckled as he crawled through the basement window.

Behind him, Rob rolled his eyes, "Pretty sure they heard that, Steve,"

"Shut your mouth and lets at least try and be quiet,"

The third man climbed through the window and then adjusted his helmet, "Let's do this. Be quiet and efficient. Try to not get that policeman outside involved,"

The trio moved up the basement stairs; Rob on point, Steve carrying the rear, and the helmeted figure in the middle. All villains had their guns ready. They turned a swift corner and saw both targets in the dark. Neither target saw them.

"I see one," Rob whispered.

"Kill the girl first. It will shatter the father,"

Steve aimed his silenced pistol at her head and pulled the trigger.

* * *

"Ouch!" As Kimber shuffled in the kitchen with her cold meal, she stubbed her toe on the edge of a dining chair. Instinctively, she bent down to rub it. Just as she did, there was a soft crack and a whistle of air followed by a dull thunk in the wall. There was a time when she didn't know what that sound was; but after being on the street as Batgirl for so long, she knew a bullet when she heard one, "PAPA!"

* * *

"Heaven's breath," Steve cursed and fired again, but missed as the girl ducked to the side.

"Go! Run!" Goren shouted as he aimed and fired his revolver at the attacking group.

Bang.

"Fu-spread out!" The bullet struck Rob in the left shoulder as he started to fire back.

The helmeted man disappeared into a side hallway as Steve ran after Kimber.

"Surprise, girlie!"

Kimber didn't waste time screaming again. Left fist to the face and her knee to his groin. After the short combo, she ran. Her shoulder was pounding. _Ouch, damn it! Left arm is injured, Kimber!_ The pain screamed in her head just to pound in the reminder.

"Where are you, little brat?" Steve was angry.

Kimber ducked around into a bathroom and felt safe. There was a sharp pain in her side and everything went black for a moment.

"Got 'er," the helmeted figure pulled the knife from Kimber's side and she collapsed to the floor.

Steve flashed a thumbs up weakly as his groin recovered, "Good job, boss!"

The leader looked at the knife. There was not as much blood for as deep as it had sunk into her, "What in Dumas name?" He looked down to his supposed victim. The girl was gone, "WHERE DID SHE GO?"

* * *

The fight with one of the intruders was over. Goren had taken a glancing shot to the thigh and arm, but the man had a slug right between his eyes. The police chief turned his attention outside at the squad car. The officer was just getting to the driveway, weapon drawn.

"Papa!" Kimber hissed. She huddled was under the kitchen table clutching a meat cleaver.

"Oh, sweetie! Are you alright?" Goren winced as he leaned against the table hiding his daughter.

"Yeah, they tried to kill me," She drew the packet of beef she'd taken from the refrigerator from under her torn shirt.

"Are you alright?"

Kimber smiled and nodded through the tears. Really, the meat and only helped so much, she still had been stabbed, but the thick cut of beef had caught most of the knife. She guessed it had punctured no more than half an inch on her side, but the surprise of the cold easily slicing her skin still made her pass out.

"Where are you, wayward one?" snarled Steve as he entered the living room, "Well, hello Goren Lee!" Steve made his way into the kitchen and passed the table where Kimber was hiding. He kicked Goren's injured leg and aimed his gun at Goren's face. "I dunno where your little one has run off to, but this will be a delightful conclu-" Boom.

His words were cut short as the police officer from outside finally got in the house... just in time to shoot Steve through the eye.

Steve gurgled something unintelligible then dropped, dead.

Goren didn't bother to get up when the officer held his hand out, "There is still one... more man... in my house," He panted.

The officer looked around the room for a moment and then charged into the back rooms of his boss' house to search for the final intruder.

"Pity he left you so soon, Mr. Lee," A dark figure emerged out from the guest restroom moments after the officer ran further back. He put his face in Goren's. The skull on his helmet aligned with Goren's head and the man was so close, Goren could almost make out the madman's crazed eyes.

"You..."

"Sure. Me," The man in the helmet yanked Goren up roughly and pressed the tip of his knife to Goren's throat, "I've lost two good men in your home. Now a third good man is about to die,"

"Why are you doing this Paul?"

"I'm not Paul, foolish man. There is only Mr. Death now,"

"Well, I prefer 'Mr. Dead'," Kimber jumped from under the table, knocking it over. The crash of the table and all the silverware rang through the house and startled the killer. This gave Kimber enough time to plunge the cleaver right into the shoulder of the man threatening her father. With a scream, he fell.

The officer appeared in the blink of an eye and pointed his gun at the fallen enemy, finger twitching on the trigger.

"Don't shoot!" Goren yelled out just before the amped up officer offed the helmeted man. He ran between the officer and the criminal with his hands open, "Don't shoot," Goren took a breath, "Get an ambulance down here immediately!"

The officer nodded and ran off to his car to radio for the medics.

"Papa!" Kimber ran up to her father and hugged him. They were both shaking. Gun fights, knives and fighting. All things she was very familiar with. But it never took place in her home. She had always been more or less prepared and always was the initiator, seeking the fight. Never had it been so personal before. This was something new. She was glad the lights were off because she didn't want to see the blood or the bodies in her home.

Goren and his daughter watched as an ambulance took 'Mr. Death' away for treatment and then incarceration. The other two men, deceased, were wheeled away in open body bags as investigators did what they do best: investigate the scene. Even in the dark of night, all the lights allowed for a cleaner look at the two men who had died trying to kill Goren and his daughter. One was in a black turtleneck and tactical pants and the other was in white overalls with black padding. On his head was a green cap speckled with blood.

"Mr. Lee? Your chariot awaits," The paramedic helped him onto a gurney and began to bandage him up.

"Kimber?" Mr. Lee spoke in spite of his injuries.

"Yes, Papa?"

"'Mr. Dead?' Was that really the best you could come up with?"

The two shared a small laugh at the horrid joke. Things like that were always funnier in retrospect. "Seemed to do what I wanted it to do. By the way… This may not be the best time, but about Mawk's party… Tomorrow, maybe I could...?"

Goren sighed, "Now that this is over, I don't see why not," He fist bumped his daughter and then allowed himself to be wheeled into the second ambulance.

"Raise your shirt for me, dear," another paramedic instructed Kimber.

Kimber raised her shirt and got a good look at where Mr. Death's knife had sliced into her. _It doesn't look that bad. Shouldn't leave a nasty scar... Probably just one of those cool ones,_ She laughed to herself and tried to ignore the pain of the antiseptic the medic swabbed over her side.

"There," The medic then carefully wrapped a bandage around Kimber's stomach with extra gauze on her side to absorb whatever blood dribbled out. "Just try not to be too active for awhile,"

Kimber lowered her shirt, "How long is awhile?"

"Probably two weeks to a month," the medic replied at the drop of a hat.

"Eh!" _Holy... No city saving at all, for a month?_ Then she reminded herself it could have been worse. "Thanks, I guess,"

"No problem!" the cheery response came as a surprise to Kimber.

And then they were gone. The lights, her father, the men. All gone. And Kimber was alone on the curb before her house, but she didn't feel safe. Even with another police officer stationed outside, she didn't feel safe. They said he would be there 'just in case,' but Kimber didn't want there to be a 'just in case' situation. Her home was the one place she was supposed to feel secure, but now Mr. Death had robbed her of that luxury.

First chance she got, she snuck out of the house and became Batgirl.

* * *

"Alright. I'm done," Curtis popped out from his perch in the ceiling and dropped to the floor, "Testing... now," He wasn't sure who he was talking to. Jerome had left hours ago and Mawk was in another room blowing up more balloons. Curtis tapped the play button on Jerome's laptop and music blasted through the house. The lights started flashing in sync with the funky beat. "Terrif',"

Mawk entered at the swelled bass shook his house's foundations, "Well I'll be damned. You did a great job, tech geek," Mawk looked around the room, "Sorry it took so long to get all the crap needed to set up the system. I guess I didn't think that part all the way through. New rigs and all,"

Curtis simply shrugged, "It's cool. It's only been..." He looked at his watch and then decided he'd rather not do the math. Either way, it was late.

Mawk plopped himself down on the couch and then turned on the television, "You can take off if ya want. From here on out, I got this," He said as he scrolled through the channels.

Curtis took that as a cue to leave and started for the door.

"Oh no..."

Curtis stopped.

"Curt... check this out,"

Curtis reentered the room and looked at the television screen. The news anchor, Jack Ryder, stood in front of the police station relaying something about the capture of Mr. Death to viewers. And a home invasion and attempted double homicide at Police Chief Goren Lee's home.

"Kimber..." Curtis whipped out his phone and fired off a text to her. No response.

"...The Lee family has declined to comment on the event, no doubt traumatized by the night. The police have denied any media from the Lee residence, but sources say that though both were injured in the fight, neither Police Chief Lee nor his daughter, eighteen year-old Kimber Lee, were killed or grievously hurt. This truly is a happy ending to a murder spree, the likes of which were only known years ago. Back to you in the studio, Laverne,"

* * *

Batgirl watched the news segment end from her perch high above 1 Police Plaza. She had a hard and slow time getting to the rooftops tonight, but for her it was understandable. She didn't want to aggravate her wound any more than she had to. Heck, she wasn't even supposed to be in the suit, but it was the only way she felt safe now. The only way she felt in control.

Once on the rooftops, she made her way to police headquarters to catch the news segment live, "Real glad they didn't make a media frenzy by my house... That would have been worse..."

Her phone buzzed but she ignored it. If it was someone calling or texting to see if she was alright, they would understand if she didn't want to talk at the moment. She turned away from the ledge and lay on the roof, face up to the stars. _So I didn't save the day as 'Batgirl,' but I still saved the day,_ She propped herself up on her elbows and looked at her surroundings, _This is my city. It calls for me, and I will never tell it to leave a message. I will always be here to fight for it._

"Ow!" She grunted and collapsed onto her back, _Okay, I'll heal first and then I'll fight for this city._ She would be sleeping up here tonight...

* * *

Bruce turned off the television, "I knew. it. She wouldn't be there. She couldn't. Her father had her quarantined in the house before the attack and she couldn't get away during," He was sure of it now. That girl was the Batgirl. And that girl was in over her head. _I could help her. She doesn't have the tools or training. I could show her; reveal to her I was Batman._

"No!" He announced to his mind, himself, and the manor, "Don't even think about it,"

But he couldn't help it. He was drawn to it, as if by instinct.

"Why?" He looked at his reflection in the glass of the grandfather clock that guarded the main entrance to the cave. He longed to go down there. That was the place where his heart was locked up. He had to get down there. For himself. For Diana. For Kimber. For his city.

"Ten forty-seven," The clock swung open. He started his descent down the stone stairs he walked many times before, "Diana..." His mind wandered again back to the Amazonian. She was the last Justice Lord to accept their role as Earth's leaders and the first to actually admit guilt.

She didn't fight the change in system, she didn't fight back after she was captured. Well, when she was fully captured. She showed the most promise in rehabilitation. That was why she was in the correctional facility. Bruce Wayne was able to get her out of a heavier sentence and get her to seek psychiatric evaluation, arguing that because she was so new to Earth's culture, her mind was easily overwhelmed by the number of atrocities she bore witness to. He reminded the courts that the land Diana hailed from still had older, less democratic ways of rule. Themyscira wasn't a democratic people's republic after all.

It worked. And now, many months later, she was about to go free.

"I sure hope it was the right thing to do," Who am I kidding. I could always read her like a college professor could read Cat in the Hat. She is really trying, Bruce found himself at the bottom of the stairs, facing the Batcomputer.

"I just couldn't stay away, could I?" He walked up to the armory and stared into the two lenses of his cowl, "I would blame you, but... you are me,"

He turned away from the bat mask and approached the cot he had always kept in the 'Cave. Stripping out of his day clothes and getting into some sweatpants, he lay on the mat. He would be sleeping down here tonight...


	7. Chapter 7

Curtis arrived at Mawk's party well before the other attendees. The host had asked him to be early to double check the light system one final time before the rest of the guests arrived. So dressed in a suit, Curtis was outside of the one-story mansion about to get his groove on.

"Welcome back, dude, and thanks for comin' early," Mawk, half in sweats and half in a suit, invited Curtis inside. "You know what to do. I won't be but a minute. Jerome is already inside working on his mixes,"

Curtis found his way to the party room, thanks to a bunch of arrows pointing out the direction, and saw that the room was pretty much how he'd left it the day before. But with more balloons, "Why suits?" He tugged at the sleeves of his shirt.

"Mawk thinks it is cool to have parties in expensive clothes," Jerome replied, "But _some_ of us aren't rich. So it really curbs on clean up since the guests are more mindful of the food they are eating, what they are holding, and what they are doing. You get the point,"

"Oh,"

"To be brutally honest, I hate it,"

Curtis chuckled before ducking down to check the wires for the sound system, "Everything seems to be in-order. Give it a jam,"

"What?"

"Play music,"

"Oh, comin' right up," Jerome started a popular electronic beat and then flicked a switch by his computer. Instantly the lights synced with the music. The DJ's head bobbed vigorously in line with the rhythm and he wore a stupidly wide smile on his face, "Can you imagine tripping during this?" His shout was barely audible over the music.

Curtis just shook his head and held his ears.

* * *

Kimber awoke with a start. It was morning and the sun was just rising. She checked her watch. _Or rather it is 6:30 in the evening and the sun is setting,_ "Oops," She checked her phone. Five missed calls and three texts. One call was from her father, the rest were from friends. The texts, too, were from friends. However, one caught her eye.

"Curtis... Crap! Mawk's party!" Faster than she thought she could go with her injured side, she skedaddled home.

"That cop is still out there... guess he never came in to check on me," She slipped back in the house undetected and looked around. Obviously her father hadn't been inside. The house was as the investigators left it: Kitchen and living room taped off for further study. It didn't matter to Kimber, she had a party to go to. After changing from her Batgirl costume into a fine dress and packing her Batgirl suit into the trunk of her car, she was off to her on-again, off-again boyfriend's house.

* * *

High fives were flying around the police station. And for good reason. Mr. Death, the first super villain to terrorize new post-Justice Lords Gotham, was in captivity and about to be interrogated then booked. In record time, too. Just a two or so weeks of hunting the man down. _That Batgirl really put the squeeze on him. I'll have to thank her next time,_ Goren looked around pleased. Everything worked out and no harm came to him or his family... much.

"How's your leg, trooper?" Montoya asked from her chair.

"I'll be fine," he replied, "Those guys were lousy shots. The crutches are just a department formality. As for my arm, should be healed within the month,"

"For you, that'll seem like eternity," Elden laughed.

"Yep, but it was worth it. My daughter is safe and this maniac will soon be behind bars,"

Two officers entered the workplace, "He's in place," one announced.

"Sweet tiddlygums," Elden hopped off his desk and made his way to the interrogation room with Goren, on crutches, not far behind.

* * *

"Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome," With each guest Mawk's face seemed to tire a little more, "Ah... finally the face I have been wanting to see!" Mawk's face lit up as Kimber approached the entrance to the large house. "I definitely need to speak with you, cutie," He pulled her aside by her waist.

"What's up?"

"First of all; how are you?" Mawk looked her in the eyes. The worried expression on his face made the girl blush.

"I'm here, aren't I?" she avoided his gaze.

"Yeah, but that isn't what I meant," Mawk replied.

"Well," She smiled shyly, "What did you mean?"

Mawk sighed, "I meant 'how are you doing since mad men tried to kill you?' I saw the news, Kimmie. You could have died. Are you hurt?"

"No," She lied. _Last thing I need is Mawk worrying about me. After all, I changed the gauze and applied new dressing this morning before I left. I can take care of myself_ "I'm fine, Mawk. Was there something… else?"

"Will you go out with me? Like, actually go out?"

Kimber let a laugh escape, "What? Oh please, why would I?"

Mawk gave her a strange look, "Really?"

"This year we graduate... so I was thinking maybe we wouldn't have to do the whole fake-dating to fill some status quo and actually branch out?"

"So you don't want to go out with me, then?" Mawk asked skeptically.

"What do you mean? We just fake-broke-up a few months ago," Kimber laughed again, "Mawk, don't tell me you actually miss me. We barely did anything! Just used our dates to study,"

"Well, maybe I wish we did do more," Mawk's voice actually sounded earnest.

Kimber laughed again but this time, it was nervous laughter, "Wait, you mean you actually want to date for real… Oh crap, I... Look, I'd have to think about it, Mawk,"

Mawk nodded his head, "Okay, I get it. It's cool! I'm cool. Look, we can… discuss it later over break, right?"

"Yeah, totally," Kimber started for the inner halls of the house. She looked back to Mawk and grinned, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you actually enjoyed 'dating' me," She blew the jock a kiss and then left Mawk outside to laugh and greet more guests.

* * *

Curtis looked around at the people. Most were socializing, some dancing, but all were having fun. He wasn't. Heck, he was hanging out by the punch bowl. _At least the lights aren't flashing yet,_ He thought to himself. He wasn't a fan of the strobe light effect he had installed, but hey, if it meant he got to stay and pretend to be cool, then he would endure.

But why did he want to stay? He wasn't having fun. He didn't know most of the party-ers except for Mawk, Jerome, and a few others. Kimber wasn't here to talk to and she would probably be hanging off of Mawk's brutish bicep the whole time like usua- _Hold the phone!_ Kimber walked into the party room. Alone. _That's my cue,_ He took one last gulp from his party cup for courage, popped in a stick of gum, then sauntered to her side, "Hey,"

"Hey, yourself," She greeted back with a light side hug, "Having fun?"

"I don't know yet," Curtis replied. They were silent a moment, both of them looking at the crowd, both realizing they really didn't know many people in the room. "So, how are you doing? What with the whole home invasion… stuff,"

"I'm good," She replied facing him, "I wasn't hurt too bad, but they did stab my side," _Why am I telling him this?_ She looked at his face. It was an honest one.

"What?" Curtis tried his best to not exclaim his response and surprisingly kept it low. "Where?" He eyed her body, but she looked fine.

Kimber could feel his eyes rove her body, but unlike most guys who stared, there was no hint of perversion in his eye. _He's looking for the wound,_ "On my side. Here," she pointed at her left side, "but I got patched up and I have gauze around it now,"

"And you still slipped into that dress?" He grinned nervously, "You're brave,"

"Ha! You don't know the half of it; these heels actually hurt more than the stab wound,"

They shared a laugh.

"Would you like me to get you a drink or something?" Curtis eagerly gestured to the punch bowl table.

Kimber smiled at the offer, "I'd like that very much,"

* * *

Kimber and Curtis were having a great time and neither one of them could believe it. It felt as if they had been friends for years. "Wow... why haven't we talked before?"

Curtis shrugged, "We just never did, I guess. You were always in a different social circle, with Mawk, you know? I just… lived in the library," He laughed, "Besides," he pointed to himself, "Freshman Chess club champ,"

Kimber scrunched up her nose in a surprisingly cute way, "Funny, you don't have a pizza-face,"

Curtis gave her a curious look, "What?"

Kimber grinned, "Its nothing, I was just talking to my papa yesterday before..."

"Ah, sorry..."

"Bah, it's okay. No one died! Well, no one nice did. But speaking of Papa... I'd better call him, you know... Just to check on him," She reached for her purse but her phone wasn't there. "Oh, crap," She kept searching, "I think I left it at home when I changed this evening. What are the odds?"

Curtis chuckled, "I'd tell you, but then you'd think I'm a nerd,"

"And I don't think you're a nerd now?" Kimber arched one eyebrow.

"Touche, Kimber," A slower song started and teens started pairing off. Curtis looked around then looked at Kimber nervously, she wasn't returning his gaze. "May I have this dance?"

Kimber smiled and shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

* * *

It took about half an hour before the fingerprint report was delivered and in that space of time, 'Mr. Death' didn't say one more word.

"Here you are, Chief," A tall officer with a neatly picked-out afro handed Goren the manila folder.

"Thanks, David," Goren flicked open the file and skipped to the third page; the page that mattered. The page with the results. Upon reading through it blood fled from his face.

Elden frowned at his partner's response, "What's wrong? What is it?"

"Negative..." breathed Goren, "The results came back negative," Goren looked over the report and his hands began to shake, "How the freak can the report come back negative? How can that man still be out-" His cell phone rang.

"Aren't you going to answer it, Mr. Lee?" their prisoner asked with a nasty smirk.

"Wipe that grin off your face and I will," he looked at the caller I.D. "Kimber? What's up, honey?"

"Hello, Father. I have sinned,"

Goren tensed up, "Mr. Death..."

"At long last, you acknowledge me by my real name!" The crazed man on the other line sounded hoarse and calm, like he was trying to be quiet. He also was breathing in spurts, like he was walking. "Let me tell you something, Mr. Lee; I had given you a chance. One chance. A chance to let your daughter survive what's to come. All you had to do was let my man go, but no. You kept him, slaughtered two more and then stole even another brother from me!" Even though he wasn't yelling, the intonation of his voice revealed he might as well have been.

"You stay away from my family, you sicko," Goren breathed.

"Goren, what's going-"

"Silence is golden, copper," the decoy Mr. Death cut off Elden, "He's going to want to hear what comes next,"

"Sicko? Really, Mr. Lee. I expected much more from you," Mr. Death continued to speak, "Now, you are injured, useless. And your daughter? Well, lets just say that is a wonderful dress she has on, Mr. Lee. Compliments her form beautifully,"

"Get away from my daughter, you crazed maniac!" Goren screamed into the phone.

But Mr. Death was unphased. "I wonder if she is having any fun? How's about we find out, Mr. Lee?"

In the background Goren could hear a doorbell ring and then a door opening. "Hello, I'm here with a delivery? I got five boxes of pizza in my car,"

Over the phone Goren could make out the kid's reply, "Mawk didn't order any more pizza I don't think. Lemme grab him real quick,"

"Oh, but you don't understand," Mr. Death told the lad, "It's on the house. Bought and paid for,"

"Eh, why not," 

Goren could hear the bored tone in the teen's voice as the door creaked open unknowingly letting in a madman, "No,"

"What's that, Mr. Lee? I can't hear you over the music. You will have to speak louder. Look at all these broken children at this sinfest. How could this not need hell?"

Goren could only sit, helpless and paralyzed with fear and rage, as over the phone he heard the music grow and conversations increase in volume as Mr. Death made his way to his daughter.

"I'm one room away, Mr. Lee. If you are going to send anyone here, the time is now. I'm waiting,"

_Click._

Goren slowly lowered the phone from his ear. His mind was racing with every possible terrible outcome.

"Goren! What happened?" Elden shouted.

The prisoner guffawed at the situation, "Salvation has come! The Lord is nigh!" His proclamation was nothing if not chilling.

"Quiet, you!" Elden silenced the man and then motioned for officers to take him away "Goren!"

"My daughter..."

"What?"

"My daughter! We have to save her! We have to save them all!" Goren snapped back out of 'Father' mode and back into 'Work' mode. Without giving Elden a heads-up, he vaulted out of the interrogation room and into the main office, barking orders and the address of Mawk's house to subordinates as he moved.

"I need every available unit down at that house pronto! Get medical down there, as well. This Mr. Death character has probably already created trouble at that residence and I don't want anyone dying there while any one of us are on duty!"

"Sir? Mr. Death?"

"You heard me, Montoya. We got the wrong man,"

Squad cars and ambulances rushed to Mawk's house sirens on full blast. In one squad car, Elden and Goren raced along side the convoy of law and order vehicles. _Tonight this ends. Even if we both die._

* * *

Kimber and Curtis sat back in their chairs, resting. "Where did you learn to dance so well?" Curtis asked her.

"My mama was a dance teacher before she met my papa. She told me that I would have to learn someday and so she taught me,"

"Well, you sure can move,"

Kimber smirked, "Was that a come-on?"

Curtis opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out except for a stuttering of sounds.

Kimber laughed, "I'm only kidding. Jeez," She lightly punched his arm. "Loosen up! Don't be so weird,"

Mawk came near the two, "Hey, have either of you guys seen Steven?"

"Who?"

"That short kid with the green hair,"

"I saw him, yeah," Kimber nodded toward the door. "he stepped out not too long ago, why?"

"He has my phone and I kinda need it back. Thanks," Mawk started to walk away then stopped, "Oh, and Kimber?"

"Yeah?"

Mawk looked from her to Curtis, then back to her. He laughed through a half-smile then shook his head. Kimber just smiled back, confused, then Mawk started for the door.

"What was that about?"

Kimber just shook her head, "No idea, just-"

"Wait," Curtis interrupted her then cocked his head, "Do you hear sirens?"

"Wha-?" Kimber listened. Sure enough over the music came sirens. _Police sirens. Ambulance sirens. Why?_

At that moment, another delivery man entered with a stack of pizza boxes in his hands. His face was obscured by a black motorcycle helmet. He set the boxes down on the main table as Mawk hovered nearby doing his best to thank the man for the delivery but also explain that there must be some mix up.

Kimber stared at the biker, cold fear washing from her core and paralyzing her limbs. The man looked directly at her and then unsheathed a knife, a long knife. In one swift motion, he stabbed it into Mawk's belly then turned to the boxes of pizza.

Kimber screamed Mawk's name but she was drowned out by the noise of the party.

Mawk stumbled away from the man a few feet, but fell just short of the back door, crashing through some of the cords Curtis had set up, unplugging the sound system in the process. There was a brief moment of silence. Mawk gurgled. People screamed.

The man with the full biker gear and motorcycle helmet with a skull painted on it turned around from the box brandishing two submachine guns, "Heathens,"

People screamed some more.

* * *

As they approached the neighborhood, Goren could only imagine what was going on. And hear. With the window down, it wasn't too difficult to hear the rising screams of the teens at the house at the end of the block. People closer to the house were starting to turn on their lights and peer out their windows.

"I hope we aren't too late,"

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" Jerome, the oldest in the room, did his best to sound in control.

"I would tell you that I am tonight's entertainment, but that would be a lie. Who is the host of this… display?"

"Yo-you're standing on him," One girl shakily replied, pointing at Mawk lying beneath his feet.

Mr. Death looked down to the teen, "I am sorry for the tragedy that befell your home," He sounded almost sincere, "But know that there was no other way. You brought this on yourself with this sickening event,"

Mawk gasped a "Screw you," and shuffled away from the crazed maniac on his elbows.

Mr. Death fired a round through Mawk's leg, "Take solace that your home is ground zero of the End," Mr. Death stood tall again, "Don't worry, he will be just fine… If he gets to a doctor within the next two hours. But right now," he moved to block the only conventional exit, "There we go. No one is going anywhere!"

_I need to get out of here!_ Kimber thought, _If I could get to my car, Batgirl could take this weirdo murdering freak out!_

"Now before any of you children get any ideas, Let me demonstrate something," He fired one of his guns into the air. "This is Eshshel'il the MP5. This," He fired the second gun once, "is Pzam'il the other MP5. And this, Uriel," He reached to his back and withdrew a long knife, "is for Kimber Lee," the man's words hung in the air like a curse. His covered head panned the room before him. "Where is she?"

The group gasped just like a cliche.

Then one girl stepped forward, "I'm Kimberly,"

_Rat-tat-tat._ She was dead.

"And I already know what she looks like so no so-called heroes. What I do not know is where she is,"

_What does he want with me?_ Kimber looked at Curtis and could tell he was wondering the same thing. _No time to get away._ She felt a strong hand wrap around her upper arm and turned to see Curtis holding on to her, protective, _That's a surprisingly strong arm he's got_ Outside, the sirens were getting closer.

"Alright," Mr. Death sighed, "Seeing as the audience is arriving and the child of the old law is getting cold feet, it's time to weed her out," He waved at the teens with the submachine gun casually, "I will count to seven. One!"

Kimber didn't move.

"Two!"

Kimber wiggled away from Curtis and stepped forward, "Stop!"

Mr. Death's dark visage centered on her, "Kimber. Excellent. We can continue what I need to do. What needs to be done," He took out Kimber's phone. He dialed a number just as blue and red flashing lights decorated Mawk's yard. "Here," Mr. Death gingerly handed Kimber her phone. It was ringing.

Kimber looked to the LCD screen, _Papa…_ The caller ID displayed a picture of her father taken years ago with their old dog. Kimber fought back tears and the call status switched from 'dialing' to 'connected'.

"Hello? Hello?" Goren's voice was desperate out of the speaker, "Paul, if that is you, get out of that house with your hands in the air!"

"Papa?"

"Kimber? Oh, god. Are you alright, honey?"

"Why is he here?"

Goren didn't respond.

Mr. Death leaned into the phone, "Answer the question, Mr. Lee. Admit your defeat. Own it,"

Kimber watched over Mr. Death's shoulder out of a large window. She could see various police officers setting up barricades outside and she watched her father approach from the right and look into the house. Resting on his crutches, he had in one hand his cell phone and in the other, a walkie-talkie. He looked afraid and unsure, but his brow was set.

"We... we got the wrong man, Kim. We got the wrong man. But don't worry," Goren tacked on, "We'll get him,"

"Empty words," The man removed his biker helmet to reveal a handsome face. It wasn't the face you would normal associate with mental disease or mass murder, but a calm face. A young face framed by straight, golden hair. He could have easily been a politician or a businessman or even an entrepreneur. But he wasn't any of those things; he was a murdering sociopath.

* * *

Bruce woke up to an alarm. The Batcomputer had picked up dramatic activity on the police radio waves and communication channels. "Open threat, Alfred,"

The BatCave's AI opened a screen on the Batcomputer and instantly crackly voices filled the chamber. "Dispatch, this is unit 21. We've just pulled up to the residence,"

By the end of that sentence, Bruce was already finished suiting up as Batman and was in the process of transferring the address of Mawk's house to his Bat-Wave. Then he snapped out of it. "No. I'm not Batman anymore. No point. She will go," He sat in the chair and listened to the madness continue.

* * *

"Why are you doing this?" a terrified teenager pleaded for answers from the man who held the room at gunpoint. Next to the girl, a boy, probably her date, stealthily whipped out his phone and began livestreaming the event on social media.

Mr. Death took no notice of the streaming device and looked to the girl, "This is what needs to be done. Things were supposed to be different now; the end was supposed to come but it did not. Why are the police here? They should know they can't prevent the inevitable," Mr. Death turned is attention to the men and women in blue outside, "They couldn't catch me over the weeks because it is not their decision what happens. It is out of their hands and in the hands of him," Mr. Death pointed one of the guns skyward.

"The false gods took over this world just as the good book said. They were given dominion after uniting the world and that was supposed to lead to the end, but the end did not come. I was too slow. I didn't realize my place. And after the false gods fell, the world returned to the decrepit system that gave way to the Justice Lords to take over in the first place. I am a result of that system. The Lord says no more!"

The teens stood against the back wall as far away from the mad man as possible. Curtis wanted to reach forward to steady Kimber. She was shaking.

_I should have left once the sirens started,_ She berated herself for being so foolish as to not notice the sirens had been getting closer. Out of the window she could still see her father's worried face as he stood, helpless, on the other side of the pane. It was a wonderful ploy Mr. Death had pulled off. _Straight out of a chess game. Why are the crazy ones always so smart?_

Curtis looked to Kimber and whispered in her ear, "Any idea why he wants you?"

The girl shook her head and whispered back, "He is the guy who wanted to kill me before. I thought he was captured... But I was wrong,"

"Shoot,"

"Hush!"

"Now, you all have this wonderful and celebrated hero: the police chief Goren Lee. Well, I am here on a mission to bring an end to this system and this world. It can't have heroes like him. He stands in the way of judgement and fury. I am here, c'mere Kimber, here to..," the man looked back at Kimber placidly, "I said COME HERE!" He growl-barked the last two words.

Kimber approached.

* * *

"Now Kimber, is the beautiful daughter of the police chief. If Goren is to truly be a hero, he must pay for his sins. With blood,"

Batman's stomach tied itself in a knot. He had been alerted by satellites that a livestream of the terrible event had begun. Curious to get a better look at the villain with the less-than-basic moniker, he'd tuned in only to be presented with the grim reality that, no, Batgirl wouldn't be coming. That man was planning on killing her. He knew it. The Joker had done something many years earlier when he was first rising to prominence.

"Still inert?"

Batman turned quickly. Again his dimensional double was behind him. "That is what you promised Mom and Dad, right? You would do your best to make certain nobody died on your watch again. I don't think they'd accept this, not at all,"

"I don't need a lecture from you," Batman turned around again and faced the screen. Emotionless, "You have no idea what it is like to be me,"

"I don't?" surprise tickled the Other's tongue, "Then please explain. Last time I checked, we were one and the same,"

Batman stood forcibly, "This. This is different. I don't know how or why, but it is!"

"I don't know what you are talking about. This is the same as any other case. A man is about to kill a girl, a child. She is barely in her prime and you are just going to let her die,"

There was silence in the cave.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I can't have you giving up our crusade. You should never have given up. Even in the heart of defeat at your own hands, you should have picked yourself up. Just dust yourself off and fight another day. We fall,"

"So we can pick ourselves back up again," Batman finished the phrase Alfred had passed down to him as a child, "I'm familiar," He looked back at the screen, "She's the Batgirl,"

"Excuse me?"

"She is the Batgirl. From your previous visit. She is the one that was one the roof of the building,"

"You're right, then. This is different," The other Batman paused for a moment, "This is worse,"

"Why?"

"She looks up to you. If you aren't there in her final time of need, if she stops believing in you, since she has linked herself to you… if she lives, she will stop believing in herself. If she dies, your legend dies. Is that what you want for the future? A future that grew up in a world where every hero either deserted them or turned against them?"

Batman gripped the back of the chair viciously and looked back at the screen.

* * *

Curtis watched as Mr. Death caressed Kimber's cheek with the muzzle of one of his guns, "No..."

"Now this beautiful girl is going to die. She is going to die for her father, her city, and her country. She will be a key to the gate. A final module for He That Comes with Vengeance!" He spun and faced the window and addressed the police, "'What is my cause?' you ask? The world should have ended after the Justice Lords took over. False, flawed gods imposing their brand of order and justice. They watched from their artificial Olympus, mortals themselves. But in the end, there were no chariots, no divine retribution from on high. Armageddon needs coaxing! I'm here to push it along, as the incarnation of Death,"

"No!"

Mr. Death wheeled around, "Who?" he saw Curtis standing between him and Kimber, "Oh, cute," he pointed his weapons at Curtis, "Run along back to the teen pen back there, this doesn't concern you,"

"But it will. If what you want happens, it will concern me. And I am not letting you kill her to further whatever idiotic plan you have jumbled in your mind!"

"I see. Sounds cliche. How about I pull this trigger and you no longer have to worry about this?" The man smiled genuinely.

Curtis looked at the man under his brow, "How about you man up and fight me? You believe that you're predestined to carry this foolish mission out? Prove it,"

Mr. Death lowered his weapons, "A challenge of my faith? I am sorry, but I accept," He turned to the window and addressed the police, "Stay put, Mr. Lee. It seems we will have two executions tonight. This shouldn't take long..."

* * *

For the first time since the visit, Batman's double displayed emotion: anger. His fist smashed through a stalagmite, scattering shards everywhere. "You are just going to let that kid fight this crazed lunatic?"

Batman remained still.

"That girl put her life on the line to do what you are supposed to do. She had the look and some of the tools and probably even some protection, but this kid? He is in a cheap suit and tie going up against a mad man with two submachine guns, a knife, and religious conviction,"

"I like to think I inspired him, them, to fight the evil in the world. I _am_ symbol,"

The alternate grimaced as the fight started. The kid was easily outmatched and kicked back against a wall. "You sicken me. I can't believe you are an alternate version of me,"

Batman spun in his chair to face his double, "If this is bothering you so much, why don't you stop it?"

"No," The other Batman started to walk away from Batman, "This is your city, your life, your reality. If you choose to ignore it and live with that decision, as much as it irks me, it is not my issue. Mom and Dad would be so disappointed in you," Then he was gone.

* * *

Curtis rushed at the man a second time and slammed his shoulder into the man's chest, sending him sprawling on the floor. Curtis then followed up with wild kicks to the face and chest, only for his foot to be caught by Mr. Death. The older man was covered in leather, Curtis was in a suit and cummerbund: one was protected, the other was not. Mr. Death pulled Curtis' leg, forcing the teen to the floor. In a flash, Mr. Death was up, but Curtis was rising as well.

"Demon!" Mr. Death shouted, "Get out of my sight! You cannot prevent this, though you may try!" He whipped out his knife and swung for his opponent's abdomen. The teen was barely able to jump back in time.

"You are just another looney a few years late for Arkham!" Curtis quipped back. _Hey! That was a good one!_ He dropped and scampered to the side as the knife slashed down harmlessly where he was standing moments before.

"No... they were insane. I am... guided," Mr. Death kicked out his foot, catching Curtis' shin, tripping him. "My course is set," he kicked again, "I have been watching," he punched, "and waiting," another kick, "for the time to execute and now... it is here! And no one! Not some misguided police chief, his daughter, or a child filled with bravado can stand in my divine way!" He lunged forward with the knife.

Curtis turn perpendicular to his attacker and succeeded in deflecting the knife from his face and chest, but still felt the knife rip into his suit and dig into his skin. He howled in pain. _Well,_ he thought to himself, _There goes my deposit._

His thoughts flew into a jumbled mess when Mr. Death's knee slammed into his stomach. Curtis felt a bit of the fruit punch come up and out of his mouth... with another liquid that tasted like copper...

* * *

From outside, Goren could only watch helplessly as one of her daughter's classmates was beaten, slowly, to a pulp. The fight was an obvious farce. With the crowd of high schoolers surrounding the fight, there was no way the police could take down Mr. Death without a very high risk of casualties. And even if they could squeeze a shot by the crowd, the fight was so physical and fast that the two combatants were always shifting places and crashing into each other that the likelihood of hitting the teenager defending his daughter was just as high as hitting the primary target.

"This is bad, Elden. We need to get them out," He turned to his partner, facing away from the scene for the first time since arriving, "Where is that negotiator?"

"You know she's not coming," Elden replied, "The woman doesn't have the stomach for this sort of thing,"

Goren turned back and cursed to himself, "It's in her job description… She's fired. Remind me when we get back. What about getting the kids out? Any chance we could sneak some out?"

"You think that maniac wouldn't notice?"

Goren bit his lip. There was nothing the police could do.

* * *

Curtis was slammed against the wall again, this time Mr. Death looked serious. "You see that girl you are defending?"

Curtis managed a nod.

"She doesn't deserve it. She won't even defend herself! She knows she is scum. We are all scum in his eyes," Mr. Death spat.

Curtis took one look at Kimber, she was frozen with terror, and spat back. Literally. Blood and saliva splattered across Mr. Death's bare face.

"Now that," he wiped the liquids from his face in an uncharacteristically cartoon-y fashion, "was very uncalled for! Time to teach you some manners, child," He put the knife to Curtis' neck but did not cut it. Instead, he dragged the beaten teen and, after a little bit of struggling, forced the dark-skinned teen to his knees and then raised his knife. "Blood spilled for on high!" His hand with the knife dropped fast.

But it wasn't fast enough.

A black whir knocked the knife from Mr. Death's hands.

"Heaven's breath?" Mr. Death looked at the floor where the knife lay. Next to it lay a bat. He dropped his hold on the back of Curtis' ruined jacket and turned to run for his guns, "Oh shi-!" He didn't get to finish his sentence. A black-gloved fist slammed into his face at the moment he turned. Mr. Death's entire body was airborne for a good five feet.

Curtis looked back and up. There was Batman standing above him. No one saw how he got in the building with the lights on. No one saw whether he came through the ceiling or a window. But everyone applauded and the tension in the room definitely dissipated.

Kimber ran to Curtis as the Bat approached Mr. Death.

"You shouldn't be here! You fell! You're a false icon!" Mr. Death scrambled to reach one of his submachine guns. He reached Pzam'il and pointed it at the approaching figure then squeezed off a shot. However, fear had taken over the shooter's body and the shot flew wild and high, missing Batman and thudding harmlessly in the roof.

The Bat didn't even flinch. He threw another bat-a-rang, ridding Mr. Death of his ranged weapon and was on the mad man seconds later. He stooped a bit and a gloved fist wrapped around the criminal's neck. With little effort, Batman hoisted him into the air and then slammed him against the wall.

"I've taken on literal animals tougher than you, slimeball," Batman started, "You see that girl there?" Batman pointed to Kimber, not taking his empty eyes off of the man at his mercy.

Mr. Death nodded but said nothing.

"Her father is the chief of police under my direct orders because I know he would get the job done right," He slammed Mr. Death against the wall again leaving a divot, "I do not know what book you are following, but I suggest you burn it," Batman's words were laced with enough venom to kill.

"Vengeful angel," stammered Mr. Death, "What will you do to me?"

"I'm not going to do anything to you. This time," Batman leaned closer, "But if you ever threaten Goren Lee or anyone in his family again, I will be very angry. You wont like me when I'm angry," With that, he dropped Mr. Death to the floor and walked out of the room.

As soon as the Batman was gone, the teens were in a frenzy. Some were pouncing on Mr. Death so he couldn't stand, some were throwing his weapons into plastic bags, others were breaking down the windows and working on getting the wounded outside to medical crews. But Kimber was gone.

In the commotion, she ran outside to try and catch up with the Bat. Outside among the trees she realized just how pointless it was to search. Batman was reputable for being able to disappear and reappear at will. Heck, he had just basically materialized in a well lit room and no one noticed him until he'd acted. "Where are you?" She called into the darkness.

"Here,"

"Ah!" She squeaked and turned quickly. Batman was standing right behind her, "Th-thank you,"

Batman turned away, "Don't thank me,"

"It is customary,"

"But not necessary. I did what I had to do,"

She couldn't help but ask, "Then why didn't you do it sooner?" As soon as those words were out of her mouth, he turned to face her and she regretted them. _Now I'm going to get my face smashed in like Papa…_

But nothing happened. They both stood there, staring at each other.

_Just like her father._ Why wasn't she leaving? Why couldn't he leave? He wasn't sure what about this girl kept him there. Perhaps it was her strength in adversity. Through the entire ordeal, she didn't crack. She didn't shed a tear, she may have frozen, but she was not hysterical. Or perhaps it was knowing that she was linked to him. She modeled her costume off him, they had the same agenda, saw the city from a different vantage point... Maybe it was because around her he felt there was someone who understood him. Someone who knew him.

"You have your uniform?" It was more of a statement than a question. Of course she would have it. Why wouldn't she?

"My what?"

_Playing dumb. Not smart._ "Your uniform, Batgirl,"

Kimber's eyes shot open, "How did you know?"

"When someone dresses up like me and jumps off of rooftops, I make it my business to know who's behind the mask,"

Kimber visibly shivered, "Ye-yeah...I have it. In my car,"

Batman started walking away, "Come," He ordered.

Half to his surprise, Kimber followed, "What's going on?" She asked in a breathless whisper.

"I owe you a bike,"


	8. Chapter 8

It had been one week since the brutal attack at Mawk's party and Kimber's life had changed drastically. Whether it was for better or worse she couldn't be sure. As she left the hospital desk clerk and headed for Mawk's room, she let loose a sigh of relief. He would be alright. The knife that he had been stabbed with had not hit anything that couldn't be healed with rest, nutrition, and time. The bullet wound to his leg had been patched up in record time. He would be fine just in time for graduation. But for the next three and a half months, he will be out of school, She bit her lip disappointed that she hadn't been there for her friend in his time of need.

"You alright?" Curtis walked up to her, concerned. He, too, had been in the hospital room visiting Mawk. Most of the people who attended the party visited their unfortunate host at some point, but this was her first time seeing Curtis since the fateful night.

Kimber looked into Curtis' face, her eyes were red. Mawk hadn't been the only one she had failed. She had also failed Curtis. She invited the kid to Mawk's party just for him to get beaten by a maniac. "Ye-yeah," She stammered, "I'll be fine," With the back of her hand she wiped her eyes and heaved a deep breath, "I'm sorry,"

"For what?" Curtis seemed surprised.

Kimber looked into his eyes. His face was still covered with healing cuts and fading bruises, she knew that his chest and back looked even worse. He had refused medical attention, insisting that he was fine. But Kimber knew the real reason. "I'm sorry for inviting you to a party just for you to get your ass kicked," She replied half-jokingly.

Curtis chuckled, "If I remember correctly, I scored a few hits," He fake-sparred with the air, "I'm not just your average ordinary guy, not a care in the world,"

Kimber giggled.

"I'm a fighter. A stone-cold killer," Curtis gave the air three last jabs and then an uppercut just for good measure before turning back to Kimber. "See?"

"Alright, alright," Kimber had to agree; he wasn't dead so he must have done something right in that fight. "Calm down, tiger. So... What are your plans for these last few days of break?" Her hands slipped into the back pockets of her jeans.

Curtis shrugged, "Sleep mostly. Dad says I need the rest and he's been in a few fights himself, so who am I to argue with him, right? I'm pretty sure he knows enough about this... stuff,"

Kimber nodded and enveloped him in a hug.

Surprised, it took Curtis a few seconds before he reciprocated the act. "What's this for?" He whispered into her ear.

"For standing up for me... when no one else did," Her voice was quiet and vulnerable. She hated it, but she couldn't manage a strong voice anymore. _Too much pain. Too much sadness and loss._

"Aw shucks," Curtis squeezed her tighter, "It was nothing, Kim. That's what friends are for, right? Defending other friends from mass murderers,"

The two released and Curtis checked his watch, "Shoot, I gotta go," He said his good-byes to Kimber then started for the exit.

Kimber watched the boy leave the lobby and noticed his slight limp. He had denied medical attention to save money. His father had been released the previous May from prison; incarcerated for participating in a riot and speaking out against the Justice Lords during their reign. He had been in for life. Curtis' mother had passed two months after his father was released. It had been a hard year for Curtis Walker and needless to say money was tight. _This would have been so different,_ she chastised herself, _if I hadn't frozen._

At the door Curtis paused, turned for one last wave, and then disappeared into the night.

* * *

Bruce Wayne sat in his car alone. He hadn't bothered to hire a chauffeur because, honestly, who could replace Alfred? As he sat parked outside the hospital, he thought back to that night. He still wasn't so sure what possessed him to reveal his secret identity to the girl, but now he had to deal with it. He looked to the hospital again and watched an young man limp confidently into the night and then drove off.

* * *

One hour later, he was in full suit ready to do what he hadn't done in a very long time: patrol. He wasn't even sure if he was going to. The way he had attacked that night was so fast and so quickly that a lot of the police force hadn't even seen him. On approach, he had employed a cellphone jammer to cut the live stream that was still going. There were only a few witnesses and some of them were getting so much counseling that most would probably repress the memory for years to come. 

He had also scanned many bars and popular criminal hang-outs as the reviled Matches Malone as well as Gaff Morgan the days following. Though there were a few snippets of stories passed around about the end of Mr. Death's crusade, no one attributed it directly to Batman. It had been too long. Most didn't think he came out anymore and others even suggested he had died soon after the Justice Lords disbanded, "Shows what they know,"

He decided against using the Batmobile as transportation and instead opted for traveling on foot. He didn't want to draw attention to his return to the night. The more he surprised the scum in Gotham's underbelly, the better. "Alfred," He barked into the crisp night air, "Lockdown procedure,"

"Right away, sir," The mansion above was being locked down. No one in or out except the Bat himself. Lasers and bars over every entrance and all fences magnetically sealed. After he was satisfied with the secure status of his false home, Batman stepped out of the cave and into the dark.

* * *

"Hey, Mawk," Kimber took the boy's hand in hers. "I'm going to take off, okay?"

Mawk weakly grinned, "Alright. You gonna visit tomorrow, right?"

"Of course!" Kimber was surprised he would ask such a question, "Why?"

"Just makin' sure, Kim," He laid his head back on his pillow.

Kimber bit her lip before speaking again, "Before I go... I want to tell you something,"

"Shoot,"

"These past few days have been a real eye-opener for me," She started off slow, the words still forming in her head, "I have just come to realize how precious certain people are to me... and well..." She caught her breath and then proceeded, "Remember when we first went out?"

Mawk laughed, "Yeah, I do,"

"We just thought it was what we were supposed to do. Everyone kept saying how great of a couple we'd make that we eventually just did it. I remember you telling me that I was cute but not really your type," She smiled at the memory. At the time she had been crushed, but through it came a wonderful and lasting friendship. "We've done that fake-date setup more times than I care to count. Just barely sustaining the status while not really spending actual time together, as a couple. Using each other as excuses to leave events and parties to study. But now, I realize just how much you mean to me," Her voice trailed off.

"What are you trying to say?" Mawk's voice was also quiet.

"I don't think I have anything left to say. Just something to do," She leaned in and kissed him.

* * *

Gotham streets were not how he remembered them. Crimes were low and as the tale of Mr. Death's 'supernatural' silencing began spreading around a number of criminals were too spooked to come out. A superstitious and cowardly lot, indeed.

"It will be at least another week before the underbelly decides to show its full face," Batman growled into the night air. He was crouched between two gargoyles; just like the old days. It hadn't taken him long to get to the city from his cave, and even shorter to get to the apex of the Clocktower. What he hadn't counted on was a slow night. Police scanners were nearly empty and he had been on top of the tower for over an hour. Alternating his location, of course. Suddenly, a figure caught his keen eye.

With all his pent up energy, he leapt from his perch, spread his cape and glided to the roof the figure was standing on silently. It took him about five seconds to make this descent. Oh, how he had missed the feeling of the wind at his cheeks, the lights blurring at the city's rapidly approach, wind tugging on his cape as he controlled his fall to the next building top, the adrenaline. Training in a cave barely rivaled the feelings of _actually_ doing. He stalked up behind the figure, "You're out early,"

Spooked, the figure turned suddenly with an 'eep,' but when she saw it was the Dark Knight, she put a hand over her chest and exhaled her held breath. "Shit!" Batgirl chuckled nervously, "Scared the crap outta me,"

"Get used to it," Was all he replied.

Batgirl looked at her watch, "It's ten-forty," she stated, "I'm normally out an hour after sunset. This is late for me,"

"With those hours, you will work yourself to death," He moved to the edge of the building, cape still draped over his shoulders and body, and leaned for a better look at the ground level. "Even with meditation. The most dangerous part of the night starts at thirty to midnight and doesn't end until four-thirty in the morning. The busiest time is the hour of two,"

"So if this is early, why are you out?"

"Tonight's different," He squinted at her and she had to remind herself that looks can't kill.

_Or can they?_ She asked herself as something seemed to die within her. "I know the radio waves haven't been too gracious to us vigilantes, but I've been following this group for the past few blocks," She pointed to some young people now huddled in an alleyway. "I'd say they are up to no good,"

Batman turned his attention on them; his mind went to work as did the tech in his cowl. _Five men. Two women. Mid- to late-twenties. Two men armed. Crowbar. Pistol, most likely a used one. Both women armed. Two knives. One baseball bat._ He retrieved binoculars and peered at the group. _Clown-like face paint. Jokerz._ His scowl grew. How anyone could follow that madman even to the point of mimicking him was beyond Batman's mind. "Any clue who they're waiting for?" he packed away his binoculars.

Batgirl shrugged, "Not a one. So far there seems to be no rhyme or reason. They're Jokerz after all. This is just what they do at night. They've just been walking around this area. Stopped in that alley awhile, so I guess that is where they are waiting. Probably the first pathetic looking man or woman that waltzes passed will get a face full of pain,"

Batman shared the information he gathered from watching them with his unofficial partner. She was stunned.

"All that from just a look?"

"No," he stood at the edge of the building as the group below looked as if they were about to spring. "Get ready,"

"Yeah, you can glide down and that's great, but I'll have to use the ladder or something. I can't jump across the street if I want to keep my legs,"

At first Batman thought she was trying to get out of the fight, but when he turned, she was already nearing said ladder. _Initiative. Good. But it's time to forge forward.He signaled for her to return to him, "Come,"_

_Batman fired his line launcher across the street and held out his hand. Batgirl looked at the thick metal cord, skeptical of its anchoring._

_"Trust me,"_

_Batgirl sighed then took Batman's hand._

_"No," he corrected her hastily, "Forearm,"_

_She adjusted her grip and held his forearm. His fingers reciprocated and wrapped around her gauntlet securely. When Batman was satisfied with the hold, he gave her a single nod._

_"Hold on tight," she warned._

_Batman grunted and pushed off from the building, riding the cable across the moderately busy street, Batgirl hanging from his hand. He was reminded of Dick's first time riding over the city and couldn't help the feeling of sentiment creeping up his throat. It was good to have a partner again._

_The two landed, unseen, on the building just above the hoodlums. Batgirl quickly released his hand and hunched over, hyperventilating. "Are you alright?" He asked her quietly._

_She put up a hand to him with one finger raised, "Give me a sec," she whispered back. After a moment, she walked passed him, head held high in forced confidence, and peered over the edge of the building, "Someone approaches,"_

_Batman joined her on the ledge._

_Below, the group of Jokerz readied their weapons and sprang their trap on the passer-by. An older slightly overweight man sloppily dressed in exercise clothes. "Give us the dough and we'll letcha go!" Rhymed one member. He was carrying the crowbar._

_"You don't want any trouble from us!" A second piped up. The teen with the pistol._

_"Please!" The man whimpered when he realized he was at the mercy of the seven gang members, "I don't have anything on me! I just went for a jog!"_

_"We-ell, you better hurry up and find something!" threatened the knife wielding girl, "We don't carry these pointy things just for show, ya know,"_

_The man whimpered again._

_This was all he needed. Batman raised and then dropped his hand. Batgirl vaulted over the ledge, landing on the fire escape with a bang, confusing the teens. Before they could gather their wits, she jumped down again and flipped forward, the heel of her boot crashing into the base of the neck of the first speaker. Before any of the Jokerz could respond, Batman descended, feet first, crashing into the gun-toting member. In a flash, Batman had the gun in his hands and he pistol-whipped the closest Jokerz member and then released the gun's magazine, rendering the weapon useless. He then threw the unloaded weapon to the side as added precaution._

_Finally one Jokerz member spoke up, "Woah! It's the Bat!" was all she got to say before Batgirl rammed her shoulder into the girl's chest, knocking the wind from her._

_Batgirl did a quick run-through of the events in her mind as she blocked a strike from an unarmed member. _The gunman is out and his gun is gone. The crowbar guy is down, for now,_ Batman brought is armored knee into said thug's face. _Oh, never mind. He's down for good._ She blocked another punch from the second man and then threw one of her own, her gloved fist collided with his made-up face. _He's down.__

_Batman vaulted over the head of another thug and palm-struck him in the back. He then finished the counterattack with a quick chop to the face. The man was unconscious._

_"I'm gonna end you, Bats!" came a voice._

_Batman expertly ducked down and a crowbar whizzed above his head. The girl with the knives had picked up a heavier object. Not one to be attacked twice, Batman swept her legs out from under her with his own leg and then slammed her face into the concrete. Ordinarily he would not have been as brutal, but tonight was different; tonight he was making his first stand, again. He was back and crime would not be tolerated._

_As he stood, he felt a body crash into his side. The man who had been pistol-whipped was finally stable enough to attack. Or at least try. Batman barely budged and brought full upper-body force into the attackers neck. When the man let go to clutch his aching neck, Batman ended the fight with a swift knee to the face._

_Meanwhile, Batgirl was squaring off against the final gang member. This member was obviously new to the thug-life as the had been frozen during the entire fight muttering "they told me they Bat wasn't real" over and over. Finally she got her wits about her and raised her bat to strike Batgirl._

_"Time to find out who the real 'batgirl' is!" The girl hollered before charging and swinging the bat._

_Batgirl groaned internally at the pun. She saw the bat coming and flashed back to that night in the shopping complex, _Not this time._ She easily caught the bat's horizontal motion, and pulled it towards her. The girl fell to Batgirl. Now with both of the bat between them like a safety bar on a carnival ride, Batgirl leaned in close to her enemy._

_"I. Don't. Like. Baseball bats," She growled. Then she reared back and slammed her helmeted forehead into the girl's unprotected skull rendering her unconscious._

_Batgirl let go of the bat and the girl fell back onto the pavement. She looked around and realized the poor jogger was still there, shocked._

_Batman turned to him. He raised a single armored finger to his lips, the only hint of his humanity, and then fired his grapple gun into the air. And then Batman was gone._

_"You should call the police, though," Batgirl added, "You know. Before they wake up," She then ran further into the alley and disappeared up the fire escape from whence she came._

_In all, the fight had seemed like an eternity but when she was on the roof and looked at her watch, "It's only ten-fifty?" she exclaimed quietly. The last time she looked at her watch was fifteen minutes ago. That time minutes the time it took for her to get to the bottom of the building, wait for the signal and run across the street added out to…_

_"Four minutes," Batman breathed._

_"Wow..," She was impressed. Never before had her fights ended so quickly._

_"That was slow,"_

_"The freak?" Batgirl looked at the man incredulously. "That was slow? It took only four minutes to end that struggle! What is normal to you?"_

_"By myself, they would have been taken down within two minutes. Combination of gadgets then well-placed strikes would have put them down. With any one of my old partners it would have taken less than a minute. With all four of my partners full force? They would have run off before the fight started,"_

_Batgirl was silent for a moment, "So what are you saying? I suck? Am I holding you back?"_

_"Yes," Batman's answer was blunt, but not without explanation. "Your talent is raw and unrefined. Powerful but not focused. The potential is there, but it is untapped,"_

_"What are you suggesting?" Batgirl asked uneasily._

_"Training. You need it,"_

_Kimber had taken a few martial art classes and even reached black belt in one, but she knew better than to argue with the Bat. "When do we start?"_

_"We already started," He dropped a handheld T-shaped device at her feet then stalked off. "Lesson two. Follow me,"_

_She picked it up and did as she was told._

_He fired a line from his grapple gun and swung to a building three blocks away with ease, the cable retracted as he began his landing._

_"Darn..." Batgirl looked from the device in her hands to the building Batman was standing on. "Oh, wow," She fired the line to the same building Batman had fired his and jumped._

__Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiit!_ She felt the blood rushing to her face then to her stomach and she fought the urge to scream. _Get it together, Kimber!_ Her arc so far wasn't perfect but she wasn't off course either and she didn't want to mess anything up. It was a chore keeping herself from spinning around on the taut line. She tightened her core and pressed her legs together, pointed straight down. As her swing reached the bottom most point, she kicked her legs forward, as if on a swing, to further direct her momentum. As she neared her destination she realized she had no idea how to land nor how to retract the wire._

__Okay, calm down... just Caaallllm down._ By mere chance, she fumbled upon the release button and pressed it. The cable retracted... and she felt herself begin to fall. As the roof drew closer and closer she sighed, _He's got some nifty cape gimmick obviously, or he can defy gravity. Either way, I'm pudding._ She closed her eyes and leaned forward._

_"Oof!" her own voice surprised her just as much as the impact did. She landed just behind her right shoulder and rolled four times before rolling to her feet. Tumbling classes had paid off grandly. "Oh, thank God,"_

_"It's a start," Batman offered no words of wisdom, no words of comfort. "Come on,"_

__No spare breath, eh?_ She followed._

_Once again the Dark Knight fired his line and swung over more buildings with grace and once again Batgirl tried her best to mimic his movements. She knew she looked goofy. She knew she looked ridiculous, _But hey, even he must have had to start out where I'm at._ She began to notice the more subtle movements and experiences as she swung. The wind cutting at her cheeks, the way her cape created drag to prevent her from falling too fast. The night air tugging at her hair as she swung from rooftop to rooftop._

_After a few more buildings, she caught up with the Dark Knight and was even beginning to match him nearly swing for swing, "So, where are we going?" She asked in mid arc of another swing._

_His response nearly made her drop the device keeping her above the city, "Home,"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ends Act 1 of Justice Lords Limitless. I thank each and every one of you who read it. Though this is the end of Act 1, this isn't the end of the story. Act 2 will be posted in the coming days. Please read and review.
> 
> -Thothakhronos


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